The airline said a passenger flying in Mexico tried to divert the plane to the United States before staff told him otherwise. social media On Sunday.
Law enforcement said late Sunday that the man claimed he was threatened by criminals who had kidnapped one of his relatives.
The incident occurred Sunday on flight 3041 from El Bajio in the Guanajuato region to the border city of Tijuana, Volaris said in a comment. Crews managed to detain the passenger before the plane diverted to Guadalajara in central Mexico.
Video posted on social media shows a man speeding toward one of the plane’s main doors before other passengers grapple with him.
As soon as the plane reached Guadalajara, the passenger was handed over to the government.
Geography footage/General Photograph Workforce via Getty Images
“Airline personnel said the attacker said a close relative of his had been kidnapped, and that at the time the plane was taking off from Leon he had received death threats if he traveled to Tijuana,” Mexico’s Folk. security section Said in a statement.
The remaining passengers and staff remained at their destination in Tijuana, on the US border.
“Volaris regrets the inconvenience caused by this situation,” the airline said in comments to X. “For Volaris, the safety of our passengers and crew is the top priority.”
The government identified the man by his first name – Mario – and the date, 31. He said he was traveling with his wife and two children.
The airline said it has joined as a plaintiff to ensure that the passenger faces the full weight of the law.
The Associated Press reported that attempts to divert or hijack planes in Mexico were extremely rare. In 2009, a Bolivian spiritual enthusiast hijacked a jetliner from a seaside hotel in Cancún as it landed in Mexico Town. All passengers and staff were discharged safely.
