N'Djamena: A hijacker seized a Sudanese Boeing 737 carrying 103 passengers and crew on Thursday and forced the pilot to fly to the Chadian capital, N'Djamena, where he surrendered, officials said.
Saif Omer, Air West airline's managing director, said the man walked out of the plane after it landed in Chad and said he wanted asylum in Britain. No one was injured, he said.
The hijacker entered the cockpit a half-hour after takeoff and put a pistol to the pilot's head, demanding to go to Chad, Omer said. He made no threats against the passengers, who were Sudanese except for a Briton and an Italian military atache.
“The passengers were unaware that the plane had been hijacked,” Omer said.
Details on the hijacker were sketchy; Omar said the man was from Darfur and appeared to be in his mid-30s.
Air West flight 612 had been headed from Khartoum to the western city of El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state and headquarters for the African Union force trying to pacify Darfur.
"We don't know where the security breach occurred," said an Air West official on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
"The hijacker is being detained by security services in N'djamena," said Chadian Charge d'Affaires in Sudan, Abdut Aderrahman.
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