Malaysian police arrested a 19 year-old student after he claimed during a flight that he would hijack the plane with his two guns, a report said today.

Tan Soon Tiong, deputy district police chief in Kuching, Sarawak, said a stewardess onboard the budget carrier AirAsia overheard the student talking to his mother about hijacking the plane.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the teenager had joked about the hijacking because he was concerned that there were no taxis from Johor Baru airport in southern Johor state to neighbouring Singapore, where his family was heading, Tan was quoted as saying by the Star newspaper.

Family members released

According to Tan the student said: "If there is no taxi when we arrive in Johor Baru, we hijack this plane with my two guns."

The stewardess who overheard this informed the pilot who contacted the control tower.

Police said the boy, who was arrested Friday, remains in police detention while his family members were released. The plane was allowed to take off one hour later. - AFP