Flew The Airplane To Switzerland, Climbed Down A Rope From The Cockpit Window After Landing

An Ethiopian Airlines flight made an unscheduled stop in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday after the co-pilot took control of the 767 while the pilot was on a bathroom break.

The plane was en route to Rome when the co-pilot hijacked the airplane and diverted it to Geneva. The U.K. newspaper The Mail reports that after landing the airplane, the co-pilot climbed out the window of the cockpit on a rope and surrendered to Swiss police, saying he was seeking asylum in the European country.

The plane had departed Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, with 202 passengers and crew on board. The co-pilot locked himself in the cockpit alone when the pilot went to the lavatory while the plane was in Italian airspace, the paper reported.

When the plane landed, it reportedly had about 20 minutes of fuel remaining. The co-pilot had been circling over Geneva until he received a response to his requests for asylum.

Images published on the paper’s website show the passengers being escorted, one at a time, from the airplane with their hands over their heads by Swiss authorities. They were boarded onto ground vehicles. The airport was closed to other operations for about two hours.

The co-pilot was arrested, and Swiss authorities are considering charges against him. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

FMI: www.foca.admin.ch