# Ethiopian Airlines flight hijacked by co-pilot to Geneva **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 17, 2014, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564 "2014-02-17T22:21:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/1 "2014-02-17T22:21:11Z")
[From BBC](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26222674): > [@](#): > > \*The co-pilot of an Ethiopian Airlines plane flying from Addis Ababa to Rome has been arrested after hijacking the aircraft and flying it to Switzerland. > > The hijacker, identified by officials as Hailemedehin Abera Tagegn, waited for the pilot to go to the toilet before locking himself in the cockpit. > > He was unarmed and, after landing at Geneva airport, said he was requesting asylum in Switzerland. > > The airline said all 202 passengers and crew were safe.\* However, my favorite part of the story comes from [Yahoo! News](https://news.yahoo.com/swiss-fighters-grounded-during-hijacking-outside-office-hours-182241347.html): > [@](#): > > \*No Swiss fighter jets were scrambled Monday when an Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot hijacked his own plane and forced it to land in Geneva, because it happened outside business hours. Switzerland’s fleet of F-18s and F-5 Tigers remained on the ground, Swiss airforce spokesman Laurent Savary told AFP. > > This, he explained, was because the Swiss airforce is only available during office hours. **These are reported to be from 8am until noon, then 1:30 to 5pm.** \* ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/2 "2014-02-17T22:29:07Z")
Now THAT’S civilized! ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/3 "2014-02-17T22:31:47Z")
I suppose we will be banned from taking co-pilots on board now. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/4 "2014-02-17T22:41:10Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > I suppose we will be banned from taking co-pilots on board now. They’ll be permitted only in your checked luggage. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/5 "2014-02-17T22:42:16Z")
I saw that they monitor their airspace around the clock, but only launch intervention during business hours, due to budget constraints. What, do they write down incursions on a To Do list? In any case, French and Italian fighters escorted the plane into Switzerland. They should send the bill to Switzerland, including time-and-half pay for the pilots who were forced to work outside business hours. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/6 "2014-02-17T22:53:14Z")
They were going to Italy anyway. Why not just seek asylum there? Or walk into the Swiss embassy in Rome? ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/7 "2014-02-17T23:14:02Z")
I was in Geneva this morning, flying out to London, and was delayed a few hours by this incident - which closed the entire airport for, as they put it “operational reasons”. Of course, everyone was immediately on the news websites and found out exactly what was going on, but I wasn’t aware of the full story until I reached London later today. It all seems rather complex and convoluted. Why Switzerland specifically? Also, I understand he’s been arrested and charged with kidnapping - it all seems a terribly roundabout and dangerous way of seeking asylum, which he may not get. He’s certainly not made any friends or earned any sympathy with this stunt. Also, since the SO is Swiss, I now intend to make some remarks about how easy it would be to invade outside of business hours. I had no idea they shut down outside those times. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/8 "2014-02-17T23:40:11Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > They’ll be permitted only in your checked luggage. Or in 100ml containers. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/9 "2014-02-17T23:54:05Z")
Good a time as any to switch over to the long-anticipated “pilot and a dog” setup. (You know, the pilot feeds the dog, while the dog makes sure the pilot doesn’t touch any of the automated controls…) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/10 "2014-02-18T00:09:46Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > They were going to Italy anyway. Why not just seek asylum there? Or walk into the Swiss embassy in Rome? Ethiopia and Italy have a [bit of history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_East_Africa). If you’re crazy enough to hijack your own plane, this might be a compelling reason. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/11 "2014-02-18T00:23:30Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > Ethiopia and Italy have a [bit of history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_East_Africa). If you’re crazy enough to hijack your own plane, this might be a compelling reason. It still seems a bit nonsensical. Switzerland is in the Schengen zone. He could have landed in Rome, gone about his normal business, and been in Geneva in a few hours without endangering a whole planeful of people. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/12 "2014-02-18T01:10:37Z")
But they’re Swiss, which means they fly EXACTLY from 8:00 to noon and 1:30 to 5:00. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/13 "2014-02-18T03:36:24Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > What, do they write down incursions on a To Do list? Well, no, but they find it very impolite when others do not. Also, the proper procedure for dealing with incursions varies by canton; Basel has been reviewing theirs for the last eight years but they can’t agree on whether the droves of workers residing in France and Germany who go to work in Basel every morning count as an incursion or not. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/14 "2014-02-18T17:01:49Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > I saw that they monitor their airspace around the clock, but only launch intervention during business hours, due to budget constraints. What, do they write down incursions on a To Do list? … Yes, and they ask the pilots of the encroaching planes to circle and wait until the Swiss reception committee is ready. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/15 "2014-02-18T17:30:51Z")
Hey, wait a minute. 1.5 hour lunch break? ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/16 "2014-02-18T17:43:10Z")
Check post # 2 for your answer 😛 ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/17 "2014-02-18T17:45:10Z")
It’s Europe, they’re upset that they only get 3 months paid vacation a year, 5 years for maternity/paternity leave and have to wait till they’re 50 to retire with a pension and full benefits.\* \*Just in case - I’m obviously taking the piss here 😃 ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/18 "2014-02-18T17:55:38Z")
seems like good planning and good timing. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/19 "2014-02-18T21:10:51Z")
War? Before breakfast? Preposterous! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564/20 "2014-02-18T21:47:39Z")
War before lunch? Inconceivable! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethiopian-airlines-flight-hijacked-by-co-pilot-to-geneva/681564.md?page=2)