A 33-year old Somali woman named as Asha Ali Abdille has been arrested after alledgedly attempting to hijack a local New Zealand flight from Blenheim to Christchurch. The drama on flight 2279 a code share between Air New Zealand and Eagle Air, began ten minutes into the flight when Abdille who was sitting right at the front of the plane was alleged to have attacked both pilots with a knife. At which point the aircraft issued a May Day signal.

Abdille was said to requested the plane be diverted to Australia, which the pilots declined to do. The flight carried on it path to Christchurch with Abdille still armed and a threat to the pilots and passengers. On landing at Christchurch International Airport the pilot and co-pilot were able to disarm her although the co-pilot suffered injuries in the process.

Abdille was then arrested by police form New Zealand’s Armed Offenders Squad.

Abdille had previously been in the news in 2004 when New Zealand’s then first leader Winston Peters had raised concerns about her, accussing Abdille of ‘trying to manipulate the system to bring 14 of her relatives to New Zealand’. Abdille a refugee from war torn Somalia had been trying to bring her parents and siblings to safety in New Zealand was said to be frustrated by onerous requirements including DNA testing.