Vancouver Airport Halts Flights After Suspected Hijack of Small Aircraft

Hijacked Cessna Sparks Chaos at Vancouver Airport; One Arrested After Emergency Landing.

Flight operations at Vancouver International Airport were briefly halted after a small aircraft—reportedly hijacked from Vancouver Island—entered restricted airspace late Tuesday night. The aircraft, a Cessna 172 belonging to a Victoria-based flying club, was being flown by a lone suspect when federal police issued an alert. As a precaution, incoming flights were suspended, and at least nine were diverted, causing temporary disruption at one of Canada’s busiest airports.

According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the plane landed safely around 2:15 am IST (8:45 pm GMT), where law enforcement was already in position. The suspect was taken into custody without resistance, and no injuries or damage were reported.

Normal airport operations resumed within 39 minutes, though minor delays continued into the morning. Authorities have launched a full investigation into the motive behind the hijacking and how the aircraft was accessed.