scotsfiancee
10th August 2006, 23:55
Passenger on Qatar plane held after 'hijack bid'
Agence France-Presse
Last updated 01:21am (Mla time) 08/11/2006
DUBAI -- (UPDATE) An Eritrean man was overpowered after trying to enter the cockpit of a Qatar Airways plane flying from Amman to Doha Thursday in what could have been a hijack attempt, Al-Jazeera television reported.
Qatar Airways spokeswoman Salam al-Shawa told Doha-based Al-Jazeera that the 21-year-old man attempted to enter the cockpit carrying a box containing an unspecified substance after the airliner took off from Amman.
He was prevented from entering by the crew and passengers. The captain declared a state of alert and flew the plane back to the Jordanian capital, where the suspect was arrested by Jordanian authorities, she said.
A Jordanian government spokesman Nasser Jawdeh told Agence France-Presse that the Eritrean man had tried to enter the plane's toilet while the plane was taking off from Amman and a tussle ensued.
One passenger told Al-Jazeera that the man could have been mentally unstable and not trying to hijack the plane.
Shawa said that all passengers were safe and the aircraft was preparing to resume its journey to Doha
Agence France-Presse
Last updated 01:21am (Mla time) 08/11/2006
DUBAI -- (UPDATE) An Eritrean man was overpowered after trying to enter the cockpit of a Qatar Airways plane flying from Amman to Doha Thursday in what could have been a hijack attempt, Al-Jazeera television reported.
Qatar Airways spokeswoman Salam al-Shawa told Doha-based Al-Jazeera that the 21-year-old man attempted to enter the cockpit carrying a box containing an unspecified substance after the airliner took off from Amman.
He was prevented from entering by the crew and passengers. The captain declared a state of alert and flew the plane back to the Jordanian capital, where the suspect was arrested by Jordanian authorities, she said.
A Jordanian government spokesman Nasser Jawdeh told Agence France-Presse that the Eritrean man had tried to enter the plane's toilet while the plane was taking off from Amman and a tussle ensued.
One passenger told Al-Jazeera that the man could have been mentally unstable and not trying to hijack the plane.
Shawa said that all passengers were safe and the aircraft was preparing to resume its journey to Doha