Australian man charged with attempted hijack
Lessons to be learned, say authorities after chopstick attack on crew
A man has been charged with the attempted hijack of a Qantas aircraft after allegedly attacking two flight attendants with sharpened chopsticks.
A 40-year-old unemployed man has appeared before magistrates in Melbourne, charged with one count of attempted hijack and two counts of violence against crew members. Reports suggest the man, who has been described as “less than stable”, was trying to enter the cockpit of the plane, which had just taken off from Melbourne on its way to Launceston, on the island of Tasmania.
Passengers helped crew members to restrain the man, and he was arrested when it landed once more in the Victoria state capital. Initial reports suggest that the man passed through metal detectors before boarding the flight, and that security arrangements at the airport would be reviewed. He added: “It may well be that there are lessons to learn out of this for Australian aviation and international aviation.”
Geoff Dixon, chief executive of Qantas, added: “Like every airline and every company in our business we will look to enhance anything we believe can be enhanced and it that’s the case, we will do it.”
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