Former commercial pilot charged with hijacking and terrorism over Vancouver flight

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VANCOUVER — A man who allegedly seized a light aircraft in Victoria, setting off a security scare at Vancouver International Airport on Tuesday, has been charged with hijacking and terrorism offences.

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A spokeswoman for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada provided a court file number on Wednesday that matches a case in B.C. provincial court involving a former commercial airline pilot based in Victoria.

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The man with the same name, Shaheer Cassim, has previously been involved in climate activism.

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In 2012, Cassim held a news conference in Victoria at the start of a cross-country bicycle trek to raise awareness of global warming. Cassim said at the time that he was a commercial airline pilot.

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Landings at YVR were halted for more than half an hour on Tuesday afternoon as the Cessna 172 circled at a low altitude in the airspace above the airport.

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The plane had taken off just before 1 p.m. from Victoria airport, where a spokesman said the aircraft was operated by the Victoria Flying Club.

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Flight radar shows it flew straight to Vancouver’s airport before circling for about 25 minutes.

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Police said it landed at YVR at about 1:45 p.m., and social media videos show a swarm of police vehicles closing in on the taxiing plane, before the bearded pilot emerges and walks backwards towards officers who train their weapons on him.

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Norad confirmed on Wednesday that it scrambled F-15 fighter jets in response to the alleged hijacking.

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A spokeswoman for the North American Aerospace Defence Command said additional F-18 fighters were also being readied to respond, but the Cessna landed before those planes were deployed.

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“I can confirm that the civilian pilot landed his aircraft before the fighters intercepted it,” she said. “So, an interception did not occur because of the aircraft landing.”

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RCMP have not disclosed a potential motive in the case, but a recorded conversation involving a Vancouver air traffic controller suggests the alleged hijacking may have been motivated by “some type of protest.”

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In the conversation, which is part of an online archive of air traffic recordings, the grounded pilot of a commercial jet asks why his plane is being held at the gate.

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An unidentified air traffic controller responds that a Cessna is circling about 500 feet over the airport in an apparent protest and the situation could last “a couple hours,” although the Cessna landed about 10 minutes later.

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The controller and the grounded pilot also discuss when such an incident last occurred, and one of them is heard saying “maybe the ’70s.”

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Another recording of a radio conversation between airport operations for arrivals and departures that occurred while the aircraft was circling above says the suspect “expected to be arrested.”

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The incident resulted in what YVR called a 39-minute “ground stop” for arrivals.

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Vancouver air-traffic control first mentioned a “rogue aircraft” shortly after 1 p.m. on Tuesday, asking nearby aircraft to keep an eye out for the Cessna and to inform controllers of any need to “manoeuvre as necessary.”

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The Victoria Flying Club said no details could be shared due to an active and ongoing investigation “with numerous factors still being assessed.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2025.

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