Ethiopian Hijack?
 

Hi...seems strange, maintaining FL360, Sqw 7500 already passed Fiumicino about half an hour???
Please mods delete or move this thread if its only a FR24 Bug.

Many folks have been monitoring. Through liveatc.net someone heard "Asylum or assurance that we will not be transferred to the authorities". Seems like the real deal?

Holding at 7000 ft over Geneva at the moment.

Seems to be on ground at Geneva at this moment

airport currently closed- no information being given

From Reuters:
 

17-Feb-2014 16:51 - HIJACKED AIRCRAFT HAS LANDED AT GENEVA AIRPORT - AIRPORT SPOKESMAN
17-Feb-2014 16:56 - ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES SAYS ONE OF ITS FLIGHTS WAS "FORCED TO PROCEED" TO GENEVA AIRPORT
17-Feb-2014 16:58 - ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES SAYS ALL PASSENGERS, CREW SAFE AT GENEVA AIRPORT

Aircraft is taxiing again

Poor Ethiopian
 

Isn't this their second hijacking? IIRC they had one quite some time ago where the hijackers wanted to go to Australia for asylum but the plane didn't have enough fuel and as such it crash landed in the ocean.

Good to see that everything has turned out fine (so far). Btw I have seen reports that the pilots left the cockpit through the windows after landing, if this is the case then is doing so standard procedure?

BBC have flagged it up as newsworthy

BBC News - Ethiopian plane diverted to Geneva

Being reported on local English language radio English Speaking Radio Switzerland I Local News, Classifieds & Information for Expats in the Lake Geneva Region I World Radio Switzerland GVA closed, inbound flights being diverted. Apparently one of the pilots arrested ...???

Edited to add someone arrested, could be a pilot. Situation under control, nobody injured. Appears to be over.

Swiss police told a newspaper one of the pilots has been arrested.
This is an atc recording in which can be heard that asylum was requested.
https://soundcloud.com/producermatth...irlines-flight

Airport opened for departures at 0815 local, will open for arrivals at 0845. Press Conference at GVAAP at 0900.

Sort of makes sense that the flight crew is behind this. They are the ones already at the controls. I guess this event "proves" that the security procedures in place did not fail. And it also shows that security checking of flight crew is totally useless. They can fly the airplane anywhere, any time.

The FO has apparently been arrested, after having refused the Captain re-entry to the flight deck after a toilet visit, and flown the aircraft to Geneva. Don't like his chances of political asylum in Switzerland though:rolleyes:

Something odd going on. The pic in the Telegraph shows the steps at the L1 door but the taxi and landing lights are still on, the flaps look to still be down and the F/O window is open with what looks like the escape rope dangling down. More to this than meets the eye, perhaps.

Hijacked aircraft lands in Geneva - Telegraph

ETA on closer inspection it might just be a dirty streak rather than the escape rope, actually. The rope would be a bit further back...

Co- pilot left the aircraft by rope through the cockpit- window.:ouch:

I can understand that, since he probably didn't want to meet the angry pax and very :mad: captain

Seems he was looking for asylum according to Airport spokesman Bertrand Staempfli.

"He said he felt threatened in his country and wants to seek asylum in Switzerland."

Co-pilot surrenders to Swiss police after hijack - RTÉ News

More info:

Ethiopian Airlines flight hijacked by co-pilot seeking asylum in Switzerland - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

if so :ugh::ugh:

9:10 The pirate Ethiopian origin, born in 1983, was the copilot of flight Addis Ababa to Rome. He took control of the aircraft while the pilot was the toilet after trapped in the cabin. Approaching the airport at four in the morning, he asked the control tower to land to refuel kerosene before finally know that it was a diversion. He then jumped out of the cockpit with a rope. - See more at: Live: détournement à Cointrin: le pirate était le copilote - News - La Côte - Journal régional lémanique

Google translate from French.

Briliant, just brilliant.

Since 'lessons will (have to) be learned', one wonders to what level of stupidity our political leaders will sink to this time round. No less than 2 persons in the cockpit at any one time, perhaps?