Hijacked Plane Lands Safely at Vancouver International Airport

On Tuesday afternoon, a 39-year-old Canadian man allegedly hijacked a small passenger plane, flying it nearly 40 miles from Victoria International Airport to Vancouver International Airport, where he was safely apprehended by police. The incident prompted a massive security response, including police, K-9 units, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Air Services.

Key Takeaways:

• The hijacker, identified as Shaheer Cassim, booked an air tour of Victoria and threatened the pilot with a knife before taking control of the plane.
• Cassim flew a Cessna 172 plane, a model commonly used for recreational flying, for nearly 40 miles before landing at Vancouver International Airport.
• Police were scrambled to respond to the incident, with the North American Aerospace Defense Command preparing to send in F-15 fighter jets before Cassim landed safely.
• Cassim has been charged with hijacking, constituting terrorism, and is set to appear in court on Wednesday.
• The incident resulted in a 39-minute ground stop for arriving planes, with nine inbound flights diverted to other airports.
• Cassim had previously worked for a now-defunct Canadian airline, KD Air, from 2008 to 2010, where his former employer described him as an intelligent and fast learner.
• Cassim had expressed extremist views online, claiming to be a "messenger of Allah" and a "Messiah" who would save humanity from climate change.

Statistics:

• The plane, a Cessna 172, flew approximately 40 miles from Victoria International Airport to Vancouver International Airport.
• The incident resulted in a 39-minute ground stop for arriving planes, with nine inbound flights diverted to other airports.
• 143 arrivals into Vancouver were delayed on Tuesday due to the incident.
• Flights resumed normally within a few hours after the ground stop.

Sources:

• London: Associated Press, January 14, 2014.
• My Turn: Lars Banke and Diana Banke, in an interview with CTV News.
• My Turn: Diana Banke, in an interview with CTV News.
• Associated Press, October 7, 2020.
• FlightAware.com, data on flight delays at Vancouver International Airport on Tuesday.