An Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot hijacked a plane to try to seek asylum in Switzerland.
The Boeing 767-300 plane took off from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa and was heading to Rome with a stop in Milan. However a distress message was sent from the plane as it was over Sudan and it landed in the Swiss city of Geneva on Monday morning, the Associated Press reports.
"The pilot went to the toilet and he (the co-pilot) locked himself in the cockpit," Geneva airport chief executive Robert Deillon said according to AP. "(He) wanted asylum in Switzerland."
"From Sudan all the way to Switzerland, the co-pilot took control of the plane,"
Ethiopia's communications minister, Redwan Hussein said according to AP.
Two Italian fighter jets were sent to accompany the plane after the distress message was sent over Sudan. Swiss officials thought the plane was making an emergency landing at first. After the plane landed, the co-pilot left the cockpit by using a rope but he ran to police to tell them he was the hijacker.
No one was injured during the hijacking. The co-pilot was taken into custody after he surrendered to police.
It wasn't clear why the Ethiopian co-pilot wanted asylum or why he wanted to claim asylum in Switzerland instead of Italy. Switzerland isn't part of the European Union and the country recently voted to curb immigration. Redwan identified the hijacker as Hailemedhin Abera. Abera has worked for the airline for five years. Ethiopia will ask for his extradition.
"His action represents a gross betrayal of trust that needlessly endangered the lives of the very passengers that a pilot is morally and professionally obliged to safeguard," Redwan said.
The 200 passengers and crew members on the flight were unaware that the plane had been hijacked. The passengers included 139 Italians, 11 Americans, 10 Ethiopians, five Nigerians and four French citizens. The passengers were escorted our of the plane one by one with their hands over their heads. The airport was shut down for about two hours after the plane landed. The passengers who were heading to Milan were taken by bus while the others were put on flights.
The co-pilot will be charged with taking hostages and he may be punished for up to 20 years.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
