A Mexican airline has reported an attempted forced diversion on a flight to Tijuana on Sunday, 9 December 2024. A passenger tried to take control of the plane’s route “by use of force”, the carrier said.
Passenger threw himself at the door
The incident took place on Volaris flight 3041 from El Bajio in Guanajuato state close to Tijuana. Though the type of force the man used has not been specified, clips posted on social media appeared to show a male throwing himself towards the plane doors, before other passenger intervened.
#SECUESTRO #VOLARIS Momento e
— David Álvarez Jiménez (@DavidAlvarezJi2) December 9, 2024
en que pasajeros sometieron a Mario "N"
Quería secuestrar el avión de Volaris y llevarlo a USA,con el pretexto de que en México, por la violencia, "ya es imposible vivir"
El vuelo se desvio Gdl,donde el ejército ya lo esperaba pic.twitter.com/vvpJjlH6x3
Crew were able to restrain the passenger and after the plane, an Airbus A320-233, diverted for an emergency landing at Guadalajara International Airport, he was taken into custody, Volaris said in a statement. The National Guard was also notified according to the Federal Civil Aviation Agency.
“The crew acted according to established security procedures and, according to protocol, the plane was diverted to the airport in Guadalajara, where the airline turned the passenger over to the custody of competent authorities,” the carrier said.
#VolarisInforma Sobre lo ocurrido durante el vuelo 3041 en la ruta Bajío – Tijuana, nuestra tripulación actuó de acuerdo con los procedimientos de seguridad establecidos y conforme a protocolo. pic.twitter.com/rYRa8TleTR
— Volaris (@viajaVolaris) December 8, 2024
Kidnapping and threats behind the incident?
Mexican authorities have said that the man was travelling with his wife and two children, and that he claimed to be under threat if the plane continued to Tijuana. “Airline personnel said the aggressor said a close relative of his had been kidnapped, and at the moment the flight lifted off from Leon, he had received a death threat if he traveled to Tijuana,” Mexico’s Public Safety Department said.
While plane hijacks are rare in Mexico, according to the AP, kidnappings are not uncommon across South America and the US State Department’s travel advisory for Mexico notes that “Violent crime – such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery – is widespread and common in Mexico. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in many areas of Mexico, as travel by U.S. government employees to certain areas is prohibited or restricted. In many states, local emergency services are limited outside the state capital or major cities.”
In this instance, the rest of the passengers and all crew were unharmed and “able to continue on to their final destination,” said the airline, who added that the integrity of the aircraft had not been affected and apologised for the inconvenience. The safety of passengers and crew remain its number one priority, the airline said.
