Fake Vic air traffic broadcaster charged

A fake air traffic broadcaster made a number of potentially dangerous "malicious transmissions" to pilots and air staff in Melbourne last year, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has revealed.

Melbourne air traffic control received the fake inflight emergency broadcasts on several occasions in October, causing them to issue a "distress phase", an alert that a plane and its occupants are threatened by "grave and imminent danger".

In its periodic bulletin released on Friday, the bureau reported the individual was arrested and charged by Australian Federal Police.