Eagle Airways Flight 2279
Encyclopedia
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
. It was hijacked on 8 February 2008 and was the second aircraft hijacking
incident in New Zealand
, and the first involving a commercial passenger flight.
. 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. The plane landed safely at Christchurch International Airport
at 8:06 a.m.
, originally a refugee
from Somalia
, was arrested after the plane landed.
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".
Abdille moved to New Zealand in 1994. 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.
On 1 March 2005, the then-Immigration Minister Paul Swain
was questioned in Parliament regarding unrelated incidents whether he was confident that Abdille "is not a threat to the New Zealand community". The minister answered in the affirmative.
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. Her trial began in April 2010.
On 14 July 2010, Abdille pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to hijack an aircraft.
On 27 August 2010 Abdille was sentenced to 9 years in jail.
was evacuated after the incident. Among those caught up were Transport Minister Annette King
, Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven
and the England Cricket Team. This incident prompted a review of aviation security in New Zealand, released on 23 April 2009 it found domestic flights of fewer than 90 seats with unscreened passengers and carry-on baggage were a high-risk area.
Air National
Air National is an airline based in Auckland, New Zealand. It operates domestic and international charter services and scheduled passenger services for Air New Zealand Link. Its main bases are Auckland International Airport, Wellington International Airport, with a hub at Christchurch International...
on behalf of Eagle Airways
Eagle Airways
Eagle Airways is a regional airline based in Hamilton, New Zealand with ten crew bases from Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands to Blenheim in the Marlborough region. It is wholly owned by Air New Zealand and operates regional services under the Air New Zealand Link brand...
, a regional carrier division of Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
. It was hijacked on 8 February 2008 and was the second aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
incident in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and the first involving a commercial passenger flight.
Incident
Ten minutes after takeoff, at about 7:40 a.m., the alleged hijacker attacked both of the pilots and demanded the plane be flown to AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. 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. The plane landed safely at Christchurch International Airport
Christchurch International Airport
-Facts & figures:As the gateway for Christchurch and the South Island, Christchurch International Airport is New Zealand’s second largest airport.5,908,077 passengers travelled in and out of Christchurch International Airport from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009...
at 8:06 a.m.
Alleged hijacker
Asha Ali Abdille, a 33-year-old living in Blenheim, New ZealandBlenheim, New Zealand
Blenheim is the most populous town in the region of Marlborough, in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the regional council. It has a population of The area which surrounds the town is well known as a centre of New Zealand's wine industry...
, originally a refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
from Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, was arrested after the plane landed.
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".
Abdille moved to New Zealand in 1994. 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.
On 1 March 2005, the then-Immigration Minister Paul Swain
Paul Swain
Paul Desmond Swain, QSO is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party.-Early life:Swain was born in Palmerston North on 20 December 1951. He attended St. Patrick's College in Wellington...
was questioned in Parliament regarding unrelated incidents whether he was confident that Abdille "is not a threat to the New Zealand community". The minister answered in the affirmative.
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.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. Her trial began in April 2010.
On 14 July 2010, Abdille pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to hijack an aircraft.
On 27 August 2010 Abdille was sentenced to 9 years in jail.
Impact
Christchurch International AirportChristchurch International Airport
-Facts & figures:As the gateway for Christchurch and the South Island, Christchurch International Airport is New Zealand’s second largest airport.5,908,077 passengers travelled in and out of Christchurch International Airport from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009...
was evacuated after the incident. Among those caught up were Transport Minister Annette King
Annette King
Annette Faye King is a New Zealand politician. She is the current Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the New Zealand. She was a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand.-Early life:...
, Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven
Harry Duynhoven
Harry James Duynhoven is a New Zealand politician. He is the current mayor of the city of New Plymouth and surrounding districts. He assumed office in October 2010. He was a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party.-Early life:...
and the England Cricket Team. This incident prompted a review of aviation security in New Zealand, released on 23 April 2009 it found domestic flights of fewer than 90 seats with unscreened passengers and carry-on baggage were a high-risk area.
External links
- Airliners.net photos of the aircraft ZK-ECN
- http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10491291&pnum=0
- http://stuff.co.nz/4392665a10.html
- http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1316907/1574444
- Hand treatment grounds hero pilot