{"id":700,"date":"2014-02-17T14:01:03","date_gmt":"2014-02-17T14:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/?p=700"},"modified":"2014-02-17T14:01:03","modified_gmt":"2014-02-17T14:01:03","slug":"ethiopian-airlines-co-pilot-hijacks-plane-to-seek-geneva-asylum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/?p=700","title":{"rendered":"Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot hijacks plane to seek Geneva asylum"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ethiopian<\/a>
Ethiopian Airlines (Photo BBC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The co-pilot of an Ethiopian Airlines plane flying from Addis Ababa to Rome has hijacked the aircraft and landed in Geneva, Swiss police say.<\/p>\n

The hijacker – who has been arrested – waited for the pilot to go to the toilet to lock himself in the cockpit. He was unarmed. He has requested asylum in Switzerland.<\/p>\n

The airline said in a statement that all 202 passengers and crew were safe.<\/p>\n

Geneva airport, which was closed for a time, has now reopened.<\/p>\n

An Ethiopian man born in 1983, the co-pilot has sought asylum due to fear of persecution in Ethiopia, police said at a news conference.<\/p>\n

After locking himself in the cockpit, he asked to refuel at Geneva, landed the plane, climbed down from the cockpit window using a rope (available in the cockpit), and gave himself up to police.<\/p>\n

He was unarmed and there was no risk at any time to crew or passengers, police said.<\/p>\n

The situation inside the plane remained calm throughout.<\/p>\n

The co-pilot himself alerted the authorities to the plane’s hijacking, officials added – and passengers on the plane were unaware it had been hijacked.<\/p>\n

The only possible offence the co-pilot could be charged with is that of hostage-taking, for which he could face up to 20 years of imprisonment, a Geneva prosecutor said at the news conference.<\/p>\n

Flight 702 was scheduled to leave the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, at 00:30 local time (21:30 GMT), and arrive in Rome at 04:40 local time.<\/p>\n

The Boeing 767-300 made an unscheduled landing in the Swiss city at 06:00.<\/p>\n

The evacuation of passengers began at about 07:25; they were all searched twice and have been questioned by police.<\/p>\n

The hijacking began over Italy, and two fighter jets – probably Italian – were scrambled to accompany the plane, Geneva airport chief executive Robert Deillon said at the news conference.<\/p>\n

The last hijacking to take place at Geneva airport was that of an Air Afrique plane in 1985.<\/p>\n

This incident is no doubt bad PR for Ethiopia Airlines, which has long prided itself as one of the continent’s best performing carriers, says BBC Addis Ababa correspondent Emmanuel Igunza.<\/p>\n

It reported $143m in operating profit in the last financial year. Other carriers recorded reduced profit margins or losses due to a combination of high fuel prices and the global economic recession, our correspondent adds.<\/p>\n

Source: BBC<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\nThe co-pilot of an Ethiopian Airlines plane flying from Addis Ababa to Rome has hijacked the aircraft and landed in…\n<\/div>\n
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