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10h ago

Hijacked Cessna 172 Triggers 39-Minute Shutdown at Vancouver Airport

Police arrested the lone occupant upon the plane’s safe landing, swiftly lifting a 39-minute ground stop that had diverted nine inbound flights

A worker moves luggage trolleys outside Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Richmond RCMP officers on the scene at Vancouver International Airport on Tuesday afternoon.
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Overview

  • Richmond RCMP received a hijacking report just after 1 p.m., prompting an immediate deployment of police vehicles to YVR
  • At 1:26 p.m., YVR air traffic control imposed a ground stop for arriving flights, resulting in nine inbound aircraft being diverted
  • Flight-tracking data show the Cessna 172 departed from Victoria International Airport then circled low over YVR airspace before touching down at 1:43 p.m.
  • NAV Canada controllers, YVR airport operations and the RCMP coordinated to clear the runways and safely intercept the aircraft on the tarmac
  • YVR has fully resumed normal services, and airlines are assisting diverted passengers as minor scheduling adjustments take effect