737 Hijacked, Suspects Arrested, No One Hurt

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A Boeing 737 operated by AeroMexico was hijacked on Wednesday after departing from Cancun. None of the 112 passengers and crew on board were harmed in the incident and police arrested several men after the flight landed in Mexico City. No shots were fired, according to the Associated Press. It was unclear at our deadline what kind of threats the men made or what their motivation was; it was also unclear if Mexico City was the flight’s intended destination. One report said the hijackers used a fake bomb and forced the crew to circle Mexico City seven times before landing, but other reports said the men had explosives strapped to their legs. Another source said the hijacking didn’t take place until after the airplane was already on the runway. The hijackers allegedly made demands to talk with Mexico’s president, Felipe Calderon. According to Bloomberg, the hijackers held the passengers on board the airplane for about 45 minutes after landing, while negotiating with officials. The passengers were then allowed to leave, but the crew was held for about another half hour before Mexican police stormed the aircraft and freed the crew and arrested the suspects. Bloomberg said at least seven men were arrested, other reports gave numbers from five to nine.

Local media reported the hijackers were Bolivian nationals, and officials said they did not suspect the incident was drug-related. Reports said the hijackers never accessed the cockpit, and at least some of the passengers on board were unaware there was any problem until after the landing.

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