Woman Demanded To Be Flown To Australia

A 33-year-old woman is in custody, charged with attempting to hijack a New Zealand commuter flight early Friday and stabbing the aircraft's two pilots.

Australia's Herald Sun newspaper reports the woman, a Somali refugee identified as Asha Ali Abdille, also faces three counts of assault in the bizarre incident, which occurred on an Air National Jetstream 32 regional turboprop (type shown at right) flying from Blenheim to Christchurch. The woman apparently attacked the pilots near the end of the short flight, and demanded to be flown to Australia.

Prosecutors say Abdille stabbed both pilots with a knife, and claimed to also have a bomb. The pilots were able to land the small plane safely in Christchurch, despite their injuries and the woman's repeated attempts to grapple with the controls.

One of the pilots had to have surgery for severe lacerations to his hand, while his copilot was treated and released from a local hospital for injuries to his foot.  Two passengers also received unknown injuries.

None of the other six passengers onboard were injured.

Abdille went before the court Saturday, charged with wounding one of the pilots with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and two charges of injury with intent against the passengers. The official charge reads "while on board an aircraft in flight within the territory of New Zealand, she unlawfully, by force, attempted to seize control of the aircraft," said police prosecutor Sergeant Jeff Kay.

Abdille reportedly has a history of past conflicts with authorities, from the time she arrived in New Zealand in 1994 as a 19-year-old refugee. The court demanded she remain in custody until a February 22 hearing, and ordered her to undergo a psych evaluation.

New Zealand regulations only call for screenings of passengers and carry-on baggage on domestic flights with over 90 passengers... a regulation many are calling for to be changed, after the hijacking incident. Blenheim Airport operations manager Kelly Byrne added the airport is not a security-designated airfield. That may also change.

FMI: www.caa.govt.nz/