Ethiopian Airlines flight lands in Geneva after hijacking

An Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot hijacked a plane bound for Rome on Monday and flew it to Geneva, where he requested asylum, officials said.

The Geneva airport’s chief executive, Robert Deillon, told reporters Monday that the co-pilot — an Ethiopian man born in 1983 — locked himself in the cockpit of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 702 after taking control of the flight, which had been bound for Rome from Addis Ababa.

The co-pilot landed the plane at the Geneva airport and then left the plane through the window on a rope. He surrendered to police there, asking them for asylum in Switzerland, Reuters reported.

Passengers left the plane parked near the end of the runway and were checked by police as they held their hands on their necks before boarding a bus, according to Reuters.

Ethiopian Airlines released a statement on its website that the flight had been “forced to proceed” to Geneva and that all passengers and crew on board were safe.

Swiss police did not immediately identify the hijacker.

Geneva prosecutor Olivier Jornot told The Associated Press that Swiss federal authorities were investigating the hijacking and would press charges that could carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

A flight-tracking app for mobile devices showed the flight circling over the Swiss city several times before landing, Reuters said. Police told Reuters that the situation was under control and that no one was injured.

The flight was provided with a military escort while it circled the Geneva airport, according to the website AirlineReporter.com.

Reports on social media said Flight 702 was flying over Sudan when it started squawking 7500, indicating a hijacking.

Al Jazeera and wire services