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USA Today
16-07-2025
- USA Today
Video shows police detain alleged hijacker of small plane at Vancouver airport
An individual is in custody after allegedly hijacking a small plane in Canada, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Police said around 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, that Richmond RCMP received a report that a Cessna 172, a small passenger plane, had been hijacked from the Vancouver Island area and was entering airspace near Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The alleged hijacker was the only one on the aircraft at the time, the department added. The small plane landed safely at 1:45 p.m. at YVR, and police officers arrested the alleged hijacker without incident. Nine incoming flights were diverted to other airports, and flights were grounded at YVR for approximately half an hour during the incident, which airport officials described as a "security incident," according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Video: Police detain suspect after alleged hijacking Richmond RCMP, along with several other agencies, were deployed as authorities worked with the airport to ensure the "safety and security of all involved." Police said an investigation is ongoing. 'Plane was making a big clockwise circle' Paul Heeney, a witness to the alleged hijacking, told CBC he was driving toward the Fraser River in British Columbia when he noticed a small plane banking to the right. Since the plane was flying low in airspace, which is where a small plane usually wouldn't be, he initially thought the pilot was in trouble, he said, per the public broadcaster. "A few minutes later, we saw a second pass … the plane was making a big clockwise circle," Heeney said. The Victoria International Airport told CBC that the small plane belongs to the Victoria Flying Club, which offers professional flight training. YVR Head of Communications Stephen Smart said this incident is "not something that we would experience on a regular basis," CBC reported. However, he did say that airport staff rehearse several scenarios regularly so they're able to respond to unusual situations. Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Time of India
Canada: Small plane hijacked at Vancouver, flight services disrupted
Image: X/@YyJdaniel S ervices at the Vancouver International Airport came to a brief standstill on Wednesday as federal police received a report that a small plane had been hijacked, officials said. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in British Columbia, the alert came in at 1.10 pm (local time), reporting that a Cessna 172 "had been hijacked from the Vancouver Island area and was entering into airspace near Vancouver International Airport,' reported CBS News. Officials stated that the suspect was the sole occupant of the aircraft. 'We do have an aircraft that has been hijacked and is in the vicinity of the airport,' a tower controller warned other aircraft, according to audio captured on the website reported CNN. 'Just in case anything starts heading toward you, you have the ability to move at your discretion.' The plane was seen to be flying low and banking to the right, and a "few minutes later, we saw a second pass ... the plane was making a big clockwise circle," said witness Paul Heeney, as quoted by CBC. This incident led to a temporary halt in flight services at the Vancouver International Airport for 39 minutes. Nine inbound flights were diverted to other airports. A WestJet Airlines Boeing 737 was asked to abort its landing due to a 'rogue 172' crossing roughly four miles ahead of it. The suspect was 'arrested without incident' as per the RCMP when it landed at the airport at 1.45 pm (local time). Officials have not yet disclosed further details about the suspect. The Cessna 172, typically used for flight training, departed from Victoria International Airport and flew approximately 40 miles north to Vancouver, where it began circling.
CBS News
16-07-2025
- CBS News
Report of hijacked small plane grounds flights at Vancouver International Airport
Travel at one of Canada's busiest airports was briefly halted Tuesday after federal police received a report that a small plane had been hijacked, officials said. Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the western Canadian province of British Columbia said that at 1:10 p.m. local time they received a report that a Cessna 172 "had been hijacked from the Vancouver Island area and was entering into airspace near Vancouver International Airport." "The suspect was the sole occupant of the aircraft," the statement added. In a recording of air traffic control posted to an official can be heard stating: "We have an incident right above our airspace here — a hijacked 172," the Vancouver Sun reported. The plane landed in Vancouver at 1:45 p.m. and the "suspect was arrested without incident," the RCMP said, declining to provide further details. Images published by public broadcaster CBC and video shared online show the small white Cessna surrounded by security vehicles on a runway after landing in Vancouver. The CBC reported the Cessna was operated by a flying club in Victoria, the provincial capital located on Vancouver Island. Witness Paul Heeney told the CBC that he was driving when he noticed a small plane flying low and banking to the right. "A few minutes later, we saw a second pass ... the plane was making a big clockwise circle," he said. Vancouver International Airport said in a statement that nine inbound flights were diverted during the incident with a temporary halt to operations ordered across the airport in the West Coast city. Flights were grounded for 39 minutes. Airport head of communications Stephen Smart told the CBC that it "could have lasted a lot longer." "This is not something that we would experience on a regular basis," Smart said
Hindustan Times
16-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Small plane 'hijacked' in Canada, Vancouver airport halts operations, grounds flights
A small aircraft was reportedly "hijacked" from the Vancouver Island region in Canada and was heading toward the airspace over Vancouver International Airport, according to police on Wednesday. Police received a report that a Cessna 172 "had been hijacked from the Vancouver Island area". (Pixabay/Representational) In response to the alert, operations at the busy Vancouver airport were temporarily suspended, and nine incoming flights had to be diverted, AFP reported. The plane that was "hijacked" was a Cessna 172, operated by a flying club in Victoria. The suspect was the only person aboard the plane and was taken into custody after the flight landed in Vancouver at 2:15 am IST on Wednesday. According to Global News Canada, the halting of flight arrivals at the Vancouver airport lasted for 39 minutes. According to a passenger's post online, police chased the plane as it landed, and the suspect who flew the plane appeared. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the "suspect was arrested without incident. " Visuals viral online showed the suspect, surrounded by cops and standing with his hands in the air on the airport runway next to a Cessna plane. Public broadcaster CBC shared an eyewitness account, describing the flight as "flying low in an airspace a small plane usually wouldn't be in". "A few minutes later, we saw a second pass ... the plane was making a big clockwise circle," witness Paul Heeney was quoted as saying. Flight operations have reportedly resumed at the airport, but there may still be some delays.
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First Post
16-07-2025
- First Post
Canada: Plane hijack drama disrupts Vancouver airport operation, suspect arrested in runway standoff
Operations at Vancouver International Airport were briefly halted on Wednesday after a small plane, reportedly hijacked from Vancouver Island, entered the airport's airspace and landed, leading to the arrest of the pilot without incident. read more A traveller looks at flights informations boards during a breakdown in air traffic control systems at Paris-Orly airport in Orly, South of Paris, on May 18, 2025. Around 130 flights were cancelled on May 18, 2025 at Paris-Orly airport, affected by a breakdown in air traffic control systems. (Photo: AFP) Authorities at Vancouver International Airport briefly suspended operations Wednesday after a small Cessna 172 aircraft was reported 'hijacked' from Vancouver Island and flew into the airport's airspace. The alert led to the suspension of flight operations, causing nine incoming flights to be diverted. 'The suspect was the sole occupant of the aircraft," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the western Canadian province of British Columbia said. After the aircraft landed around 2:15 am IST, police pursued it on the runway and arrested the individual without incident. Flight operations resumed shortly after, though some delays were anticipated. Videos circulating online showed the suspect surrendering to officers on the tarmac. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD An online post from a passenger said police pursued the plane as it landed, and the person suspected of flying it emerged afterward. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed that the 'suspect was arrested without incident.' Viral videos showed the suspect standing on the airport runway next to a Cessna aircraft, surrounded by officers with his hands raised. Public broadcaster CBC reported an eyewitness account describing the aircraft as 'flying low in an airspace a small plane usually wouldn't be in.' 'A few minutes later, we saw a second pass … the plane was making a big clockwise circle,' witness Paul Heeney told CBC. Flight operations have reportedly resumed at the airport, though some delays may still persist.
