A small plane was allegedly hijacked and flown into restricted airspace near Vancouver International Airport, prompting a large security response and temporary flight disruptions, according to Canadian officials and local media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Richmond Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said<\/a> they received a report at approximately 1:10 p.m. local time that a Cessna 172 had been hijacked from the Vancouver Island area and was entering airspace near the airport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The suspect, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was arrested without incident after the plane landed safely at 1:45 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The airport issued a ground stop for arriving flights during the incident, halting inbound air traffic for approximately 39 minutes. According to the Vancouver Sun<\/a>, air traffic controllers referred to the plane as \u201ca hijacked 172\u201d and noted uncertainty about the pilot\u2019s intentions as it circled above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Operations at Vancouver Airport have since returned to normal, but passengers were advised to check with airlines for any lingering delays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The RCMP described the case as an \u201cactive and ongoing investigation\u201d and said no further details are being released at this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n