Flight hijack drama: Four AI passengers questioned

Four passengers of an Air India Abu Dhabi-Kochi flight were today questioned by the Bureau of Civil Aviation in connection with the hijack alarm incident at the international airport here.

Though six passengers were summoned by BCA, only four turned up before the Bureau's Regional Deputy Commissioner Sharat Sreenivasan and were questioned for four hours from 11 AM, airport sources said.

Speaking to reporters later, the four said they told the official they had not entered the cockpit as alleged by the woman pilot in her complaint. As women and children were among the passengers they had protested at the inordinate delay.

On Friday, Commander Rupali Waghmare had pressed the hijack button in panic after the diverted flight landed at the airport. In her complaint to police, she had stated that six passengers had barged into the cockpit and threatened her.

The passengers created a ruckus after Air India Express Flight 4422 was diverted to the state capital due to poor visibility at its destination of Kochi and entered into argument with the pilot after waiting for four hours for alternate arrangements to be made.

Aviation regulator DGCA had then alerted all airports in the country and security personnel, including anti hijacking team, had surrounded the aircraft.

Sreenivasan had yesterday held discussions with the aircraft crew and airport officials and police personnel at Thiruvananthapuram. He is expected to submit his report to the DGCA to Monday.