Eagle Airways Flight 2279
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| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 8 February 2008 |
| Type | Hijacking |
| Site | New Zealand |
| Passengers | 7 (including one hijacker) |
| Crew | 2 |
| Injuries | 3 (Pilot, copilot and a passenger) |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Survivors | 9 (all) |
| Aircraft type | BAe Jetstream 32 |
| Operator | Eagle Airways |
| Tail number | ZK-ECN |
| Flight origin | Woodbourne Airport, Blenheim, New Zealand |
| Destination | Christchurch International Airport, New Zealand |
Eagle Airways Flight 2279 was a commuter flight operated by Air National on behalf of Eagle Airways, a regional carrier division of Air New Zealand.[1] It was hijacked on 8 February 2008 and was the first airline hijacking incident in New Zealand.
Contents |
[edit] Incident
Ten minutes after takeoff, at about 7.40am,[2] the alleged hijacker attacked both of the pilots and demanded the plane be flown to Australia. One pilot was cut in the arm, the other in the leg. She also tried to wrestle the controls from the pilot. There were six other passengers (four New Zealanders, one Australian and one Indian) on board. One female passenger was also injured. The copilot managed to restrain her eventually. Police alleged the hijacker also mentioned having two bombs on board, but no explosives were found.[3] The plane landed safely at Christchurch International Airport at 8.06am.[2]
[edit] Alleged hijacker
Asha Ali Abdille, a 33-year-old living in Blenheim, New Zealand, originally a refugee from Somalia, was arrested after the plane landed.[4]
There were fears among the New Zealand Somali community that they would be branded terrorists. The government quickly stated "the government will not tolerate any racial or religious intolerance".[4]
Abdille moved to New Zealand in 1994.[5] TVNZ did an interview with her in 1996, where she said she is not coping with New Zealand society, and would like to go back to Somalia.[6]
On 1 March 2005, the then-Immigration Minister Paul Swain was questioned in Parliament whether he was confident that Abdille "is not a threat to the New Zealand community". The minister answered in the affirmative.[7]
[edit] Trial
Abdille was charged with one count of attempted hijacking, one count of wounding one of the pilot with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and two counts of injuring with intent. She was remanded for a psychiatric report.[8]
On 22 February 2008, Abdille was charged in the Christchurch District Court with a further 11 charges, including threatening to kill, possessing an offensive weapon, and taking a dangerous weapon onto an aircraft.
[edit] Impact
Christchurch International Airport was evacuated after the incident. Among those caught up were Transport Minister Annette King, Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven and the England Cricket Team.[9] There is no security screening for domestic flights in New Zealand where there are fewer than 90 passengers. It is not immediately clear whether this will change in the future.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ "Second pilot released from hospital after hijack attempt", Radio New Zealand, 2008-02-10. Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
- ^ a b "Captain thankful of co-pilot's skills during mid-air drama", Fairfax New Zealand, 2008-02-09. Retrieved on 2008-02-10. Archived from the original on 2008-02-10.
- ^ "NZ hijacker 'known to police'", ABC News, 2008-02-08. Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
- ^ a b "Minister reassures Somali community", Scoop, 2008-02-08. Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
- ^ a b "Update: African woman held in NZ hijack", Bangkok Post. Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
- ^ "Close Up on 8 February", Television New Zealand, 2008-02-08. Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
- ^ Hansard 2005-03-01
- ^ Hartevelt, John. "Hijack accused to get psychiatric evaluation", Fairfax New Zealand, 2008-02-09. Retrieved on 2008-02-09. Archived from the original on 2008-02-09.
- ^ "Pilots stabbed in New Zealand plane hijack attempt", Channel 4, 2008-02-08. Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
[edit] External links
