Can a country force a plane to land?

A plane may be compelled to land through the use, or threat of use, of force, if it strays off course into hostile foreign territory. Territorial airspace is under the sovereignty of the relevant state, and their domestic law would regulate the treatment of intruding aircraft.

How was the Ryanair flight hijacked?

The captain and five crew of Ryanair flight FR4978 from Athens to Vilnius were put under armed guard in Minsk after diverting the plane for a fake bomb threat – apparently staged to allow the Belarus government to capture an opposition journalist among the 126 passengers.

What happens when a plane gets hijacked?

Some hijackers intend to use passengers or crew as hostages, either for monetary ransom or for some political or administrative concession by authorities. In most jurisdictions of the world, aircraft hijacking is punishable by life imprisonment or a long prison sentence.

Why did the Ryanair flight divert to Belarus?

The Biden administration imposed sanctions against Belarus on Monday after a forced diversion of a Ryanair flight to arrest an opposition journalist. The extraordinary diversion of a commercial airliner was described by some European Union leaders as a “hijacking.”

Does a country own its airspace?

Airspace not within any country’s territorial limit is considered international, analogous to the “high seas” in maritime law. However, a country may, by international agreement, assume responsibility for controlling parts of international airspace, such as those over the oceans.

What happened to Ryanair in Belarus?

Belarus has claimed the flight was diverted because of an emailed bomb threat from Hamas, but the Palestinian militant group denies any involvement. Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary, meanwhile, described the Belarusian move as “a case of state-sponsored hijacking”.

What was Belarus airspace incident?

On 23 May 2021, while in Belarusian airspace, it was diverted by the Belarusian government to Minsk National Airport where two of its passengers, opposition activist and journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega, were arrested by authorities….Ryanair Flight 4978.

What happened Ryanair?

This comes as the airline announced it would suspend the majority of its operations until June 2020. In July 2020, Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary announced that the company had made a net loss of €185 million in the period April–June 2020.

Did Belarus hijack a Ryanair plane and arrest opposition blogger?

Belarus has been accused of hijacking a European jetliner and engaging in an act of state terrorism when it forced a Ryanair flight to perform an emergency landing in Minsk after a bomb threat and arrested an opposition blogger critical of authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko.

Was Lukashenko’s plane ‘hijacked’ by Poland?

Minsk confirmed that Lukashenko ordered his military to scramble a Mig-29 fighter to escort the plane. The Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said the plane had been “hijacked” and accused Lukashenko of a “reprehensible act of state terrorism”.

What is Ryanair doing to apologise to passengers affected by delays?

“Ryanair has notified the relevant national and European safety and security agencies and we apologise sincerely to all affected passengers for this regrettable delay which was outside Ryanair’s control.”

Why did Ryanair’s Athens to Vilnius flight divert to Minsk?

“The crew on a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius today (23 May) were notified by Belarus ATC of a potential security threat on board and were instructed to divert to the nearest airport, Minsk,” a spokesperson for the low-cost airline, which is headquartered in Ireland, wrote in an e-mail.