The Public Prosecution Service of Canada says a suspect has been charged with one count of hijacking after a small four-seater Cessna was taken from the Victoria Flying Club and entered YVR airspace.
At around 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, the plane landed safely on a north runway, and the only person on board was arrested by police.
“Richmond RCMP, along with the Lower Mainland Integrated Police Dog Service, the Lower Mainland Integrated Emergency Response Team, and RCMP Air Services were immediately deployed. Communication was established with YVR Emergency Operation Center to ensure a coordinated response focused on the safety and security of all involved,” said RCMP Cpl. Melissa Lui at the time.
The accused is 39-year-old Shaheer Cassim, who has previously been involved in climate activism. A spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service says the hijacking charge constitutes a terrorism offence in Canada.
In 2012, Cassim held a news conference in Victoria at the start of a cross-country bicycle trek to raise awareness of global warming. A court file indicates the suspect is a former Victoria-based commercial airline pilot.
The Pacific Region RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) says it has taken over the investigation.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!Mounties allege the suspect threatened a flight instructor before stealing the plane.
“Investigators have determined the suspect acted with an ideological motive to disrupt airspace,” said Richmond RCMP Sgt. Tammy Lobb, adding that no one was injured.
Records show Cassim is expected to return to court on July 22.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) says F-15 jets were deployed and en route to respond to the aircraft, but “the incident resolved before any NORAD assets arrived on scene.”
“Once it was confirmed that the aircraft had landed, the NORAD response was stood down,” said a spokesperson.
The incident Tuesday caused delays and diversions at YVR.
Stephen Smart, head of communications for the airport authority, says NAV Canada implemented a “ground stop” when it all began to unfold.
“They temporarily halted all arrivals into YVR. That lasted for about 39 minutes. There were some knock-on delays. There were also nine flights that were diverted to Seattle, Comox, Abbotsford, Edmonton, Calgary, and Victoria. The good news is 39 minutes isn’t short, but 39 minutes also is not an incredibly long time,” Smart told 1130 NewsRadio.
Smart says operations resumed on the south runway and then the north runway.
“We’re in summer, we’re in a busy period, so really any disruption to travel at most times during the day is going to have a knock-on effect, that said, we have a very good relationship with NAV Canada, with the airlines, with our other partners, so we’re able to work to ease those delays as quickly as possible.”
Things are back to normal at the airport, but Smart suggests continuing to check their website for delays or issues prior to heading to the terminal.
Air-traffic conversation suggests suspected B.C. hijacking was ‘some type of protest’
A conversation involving a Vancouver International Airport air traffic controller suggests the alleged hijacking may have been motivated by “some type of protest.”
The unidentified controller in the air-traffic audio recording tells the pilot of a grounded aircraft that a Cessna is circling about 500 feet over the airport and the situation could last “a couple hours.”
But the Cessna landed about 10 minutes later, and police say the sole occupant was arrested.
In the air traffic conversation, the grounded pilot of a commercial jet asks why his plane is being held at the gate.
Vancouver air-traffic control had first mentioned a “rogue aircraft” shortly after 1 p.m., asking nearby aircraft to keep an eye out for the Cessna 172 and to inform controllers of any need to “manoeuvre as necessary.”
An air traffic controller in the recordings says at about 1:13 p.m. that the pilot of the Cessna stated he had hijacked the aircraft and was heading to Vancouver, and flight data show the plane circling above the airport for about 25 minutes.
The controller and a grounded pilot discuss when such an incident had last occurred, and one of them is heard saying “maybe the ’70s.”
A video posted online on social media showed police cars closing in on the Cessna as it taxis after landing on YVR’s north runway, and the door of the aircraft swinging open before it stops moving.
Another recording of a radio conversation between airport operations for arrivals and departures that occurred while the aircraft was circling above says the suspect “expected to be arrested.”
With files from Sonia Aslam, Charles Brockman, Srushti Gangdev, Jack Morse, and Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press.