CanJet Flight 918

CanJet Flight 918 (CJA 918, C6 918) was a flight that was on 19 April 2009 to have taken off from Sangster International Airport (MBJ), Montego Bay, Jamaica, bound for Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), Halifax, Canada, but was instead seized before takeoff for hours by an armed, lone hijacker. This was the first incidence of a hijacking on Jamaican soil,[3] and the second time a Canadian airliner has been hijacked.[4]

CanJet Flight 918
C-FTCZ, the aircraft involved in the incident
Hijacking
Date19 April 2009
SummaryAttempted hijacking
SiteSangster International Airport, Montego Bay, Jamaica
18.4999°N 77.9164°W / 18.4999; -77.9164
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 737-8AS[1]
OperatorCanJet
RegistrationC-FTCZ[2]
Flight originSangster International Airport, Montego Bay, Jamaica
DestinationHalifax Stanfield International Airport, Halifax, Canada
Passengers174
Crew8
Fatalities0
Survivors182

Hijacking

The flight was operated on a Boeing 737-800,[1] registration C-FTCZ.[2] by the Canadian airline CanJet. Carrying 174 passengers and 8 crew,[5] all Canadian,[6] the plane was originally scheduled to leave MBJ at 11:00pm on 19 April 2009, due for arrival at YHZ at 7:15am the following day. However, at 10:30pm, local time,[7] Flight 918 was boarded by a lone, armed hijacker – 20-year-old Stephen Fray of Montego Bay, calling himself "Rico"[8] – who gained access to the plane brandishing a firearm and demanded to be taken to Cuba so he could defect there.[9] The passengers were soon released, with testimony from them revealing that a flight attendant had convinced Fray to allow the passengers egress in exchange for their money.[10][11][12] The hijacker did, though, continue to hold five crew hostage while negotiations, which included Fray's father and the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding,[13] continued.

Following the breakdown of negotiations, the police were ordered to take the aircraft, and, at approximately 6:40am the Jamaica Defence Force Counter Terrorism Operations Group members stormed Flight 918 and took the gunman into custody.[10][11][14][15][16][17] Two special operations operatives entered through the cockpit window and replaced the copilot, while one of the operatives, impersonating the copilot, met with and overpowered the hijacker,[18] who was reported to be "mentally challenged."[8]

Reactions

At the time of the hijacking, the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, was in the midst of a visit to Jamaica, and, when informed of the event and release of some hostages, offered the use of his government aircraft to fly the passengers back to Canada.[19]

Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a security analyst for CTV News and former Canadian Security Intelligence Service officer, expressed concern over airport security in Jamaica, given the visit by the Canadian Prime Minister at the time of the hijacking, which he opined should have placed security on high alert.[11] The Jamaica Observer similarly reported on concerns raised in Jamaica over the privatised airport security's quality; the security was managed by a consortium, MBJ Airports Ltd., headed by the Canadian firm Vancouver Airport Services (25% stakeholder),[20][21] with Abertis as a partner.[22]

Aftermath

After CanJet sent an aircraft from its hub Montreal to retrieve passengers from Montego Bay and return them to Canada, Bruce Golding advised Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen to order an investigation into how a gunman was able to board an airliner in Jamaica. The Governor-in-Council further issued an apology to the passengers and crew of Flight 918 and offered a one-week vacation at a Sandals resort in Jamaica.[23] Transport Minister Mike Henry also ordered a security review, which covered both MBJ and Norman Manley International Airport in the capital, Kingston.[24]

The Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) commended the crew for their efforts in thwarting the skyjacking,[25] and on 15 June 2009, the crew of Flight 918 was invited to meet with the Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, at Rideau Hall.[26]

On 1 May 2009, Stephen Fray was officially charged with assault, robbery with aggravation, illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of ammunition, shooting with intent, and breaching the Civil Aviation Act in connection with the hijacking. Fray was convicted and sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison.[27]

On 20 May 2011, an appeal of Fray's conviction and sentence was launched in Jamaica's Court of Appeal.[28] Fray's lawyer claimed in court that when Fray committed the offence, he was "suffering from a mental illness as understood in Jamaican law, specifically the Mental Health Act," adding that spending time in jail "would not help Fray or the society at large".[29]

References
  1. (Press release). CanJet. 20 April 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. "Incident: Canjet B738 at Montego Bay on Apr 19th 2009, hijacker on board", The Aviation Herald, 20 April 2009, retrieved 20 April 2009
  3. Silvera, Janet (21 April 2009), "Never again – Golding orders hijacking probe – Government of Jamaica tackles airport security", The Gleaner, archived from the original on 22 April 2009, retrieved 21 April 2009
  4. Ashley, Terry (20 April 2009). "Terror in the sky". Global News. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
  5. "CanJet Travel Advisory". CanJet. Archived from the original on 1 January 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  6. Blanchfield, Mike (20 April 2009), "Jamaican police nab airline hijacker", Montreal Gazette, retrieved 21 April 2009
  7. Simpson, Aislinn (20 April 2009), "Jamaica plane hijack: Passengers released but crew remain hostage", Daily Telegraph, retrieved 20 April 2009
  8. Associated Press (20 April 2009), "Plane hijacker captured in Jamaica's Montego Bay", USA Today, retrieved 20 April 2009
  9. "Caribbean Hijack: Plane Crew Taken Hostage". Sky News. 20 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  10. "CBC News Morning". CBC Newsworld. 20 April 2009.
  11. "Morning Show". CTV NewsNet. 20 April 2009.
  12. Chung, Andrew (26 April 2009), "Anatomy of a foiled hijacking", Toronto Star, retrieved 29 April 2009
  13. "Jamaican hostage-taker makes Cuba demand". CNN. 20 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  14. "Hijacker in custody, Canadian crew released: Jamaican police". CBC. 20 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  15. "Gunman on CanJet plane now in custody, reports say". CTV. 20 April 2009. Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  16. Blanchfield, Mike (20 April 2009), "Jamaican airline standoff ends; gunman captured", The Gazette, retrieved 20 April 2009
  17. Constabulary Communication Network (20 April 2009), "Police Statement on Hijacker Surrender", Jamaica Observer, retrieved 20 April 2009
  18. Blanchfield, Mike (21 April 2009), "Commandoes secretly entered cockpit window", National Post, retrieved 21 April 2009
  19. Blanchfield, Mike (20 April 2009), "Jamaican airline standoff enters eighth hour; crew held hostage", The Gazette, retrieved 20 April 2009
  20. "Montego Bay Hijacker Surrenders", Jamaica Observer, 20 April 2009, retrieved 20 April 2009
  21. Campion-Smith, Bruce; MacCharles, Tonda (21 April 2009), "B.C. firm linked to airport", Toronto Star, retrieved 25 April 2009
  22. Chung, Andrew (22 April 2009), "Workers 'followed procedures' in allowing hijacker on plane", Toronto Star, retrieved 25 April 2009
  23. Cummings, Mark (21 April 2009), "Sandals Offers One-Week Holiday to CanJet Passengers, Crew", Jamaica Observer, archived from the original on 24 April 2009, retrieved 21 April 2009
  24. Walker, Karyl (21 April 2009), "Airport Security to be Revamped", Jamaica Observer, retrieved 21 April 2009
  25. "ALPA Commends CanJet Flight 918 Crew". Business Wire. 21 April 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  26. Office of the Governor General of Canada. "Media – Photos – The crew of CanJet Flight 918 visits Rideau Hall". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  27. Reuters (1 May 2009). "Jamaican charged over CanJet hostage taking". Canwest. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
  28. "Fray goes to Court of Appeal today". Jamaica Gleaner. 20 June 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  29. "Prison won't help Fray, says attorney". Jamaica Gleaner. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
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