In a shocking incident on Sunday, a passenger on a domestic Mexican flight attempted to hijack the aircraft, seeking to divert its course to the United States, as per the account of Volaris Airline.
The man, who was traveling with his family, reportedly seized a flight attendant, brandishing a pen as a weapon and threatening to leap from the plane, taking the flight attendant with him.
As reported by Newsweek, the man managed to partially open the plane's door, causing a wave of panic among the passengers who pleaded with him to desist. A video circulating on social media platforms captures the ensuing chaos as a fellow passenger intervenes, pulling the man away from the door while the crew collaboratively subdued the hijacker.
The Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection in Mexico identified the suspect as a 31-year-old Mexican national named Mario. He was accused of assaulting a flight attendant and attempting to breach the cockpit in a bid to redirect the flight to the United States.
In a statement released on X, formerly known as Twitter, Volaris Airline confirmed the incident. "Volaris informs that this morning on flight 3041, which was covering the route from El Bajo to Tijuana, a passenger tried, by the use of force, to divert the plane towards the United States. The crew acted in accordance with the established safety procedures and, in accordance with protocol, the plane was diverted to the airport of Guadalajara, where the airline placed the passenger in the custody of the competent authorities."
The airline assured that all passengers and crew were safe following the incident. "Volaris regrets the inconvenience that this situation has caused," the airline added. "For Volaris, the safety of our passengers and crews is the top priority."
The flight, which originated from El Bajio Airport in Len and was bound for Tijuana, made an unscheduled landing in Guadalajara, Mexico. Here, the suspect was removed from the aircraft and taken into custody.
ABC News reported that airline personnel stated the suspect claimed a close family member had been kidnapped and that he received a death threat after departing from El Bajio, warning him not to travel to Tijuana. After the removal of the man from the aircraft, the crew and remaining passengers continued their journey to Tijuana.
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