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Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot hijacks plane to seek Geneva asylum Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot hijacks plane to seek Geneva asylum
(about 9 hours later)
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. The co-pilot of an Ethiopian Airlines plane flying from Addis Ababa to Rome has been arrested after hijacking the aircraft and flying it to Switzerland.
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. The hijacker, identified by officials as Hailemedehin Abera Tagegn, waited for the pilot to go to the toilet before locking himself in the cockpit.
The airline said in a statement that all 202 passengers and crew were safe. He was unarmed and, after landing at Geneva airport, said he was requesting asylum in Switzerland.
Geneva airport, which was closed for a time, has now reopened. The airline said all 202 passengers and crew were safe.
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. Geneva airport was closed for a time but has since reopened.
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. 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.
He was unarmed and there was no risk at any time to crew or passengers, police said. But at some point during the flight, the co-pilot locked his colleague out of the cockpit and took over the plane.
The situation inside the plane remained calm throughout. He radioed Geneva to request permission for an emergency refuelling, before setting off an alarm indicating that the plane had been hijacked.
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. Passengers have said he threatened to crash the plane.
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. Two Italian fighter jets and then French jets were scrambled to escort the plane as it crossed Europe.
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. The Boeing 767-300 eventually made its unscheduled landing at 06:00 local time.
The Boeing 767-300 made an unscheduled landing in the Swiss city at 06:00. "He parked the plane on the taxiway, he cut the engines then opened the cockpit window, threw out a rope and used it to descend to the tarmac," said Swiss police spokesman Eric Grandjean.
The evacuation of passengers began at about 07:25; they were all searched twice and have been questioned by police. "He ran towards the police and immediately identified himself as the co-pilot and hijacker."
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. Passengers were able to leave the plane about an hour later. They were all searched twice and questioned by police in case any were accomplices before being allowed to finish their journeys.
Police said there was no risk at any time to those on board, but some passengers have spoken of their fear.
"The pilot was threatening to open the cockpit door and tried to knock it down without succeeding," one passenger, Francesco Cuomo, told Italy's Ansa news agency.
"A message was transmitted by the loudspeakers in poor English, but the threat to crash the airplane was clearly understood," he said.
"When we started circling above Geneva, we were really afraid."
Police said at a news conference in Geneva that the man had sought asylum due to fear of persecution in Ethiopia.
But he could now be charged with hostage-taking, and faces up to 20 years in prison.
"Technically there is no connection between asylum and the fact he committed a crime to come here," said Geneva prosecutor Olivier Jornot.
"But I think his chances are not very high."
At a news conference in Addis Ababa, Information Minister Redwan Hussein said the co-pilot had worked for Ethiopia Airlines for five years, had no criminal record and was "medically sane until otherwise proven".
He said Ethiopia would seek 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," said Mr Redwan.
This incident is a blow to Ethiopia Airlines, which has long prided itself as one of the continent's best performing carriers, says BBC Addis Ababa correspondent Emmanuel Igunza.This incident is a blow to Ethiopia Airlines, which has long prided itself as one of the continent's best performing carriers, says BBC Addis Ababa correspondent Emmanuel Igunza.
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.
The last hijacking to take place at Geneva airport was that of an Air Afrique plane in 1985.The last hijacking to take place at Geneva airport was that of an Air Afrique plane in 1985.
In 1996, an Ethiopian Airlines flight was hijacked by three Ethiopians who wanted to claim asylum in Australia. It ran out of fuel and crashed into the Indian Ocean near the Comoros islands, killing 125 of the 175 people on board.In 1996, an Ethiopian Airlines flight was hijacked by three Ethiopians who wanted to claim asylum in Australia. It ran out of fuel and crashed into the Indian Ocean near the Comoros islands, killing 125 of the 175 people on board.