Freedom New Zealand

Police have released details of a woman who attacked two pilots on a flight from Blenheim to Christchurch this morning.

The woman, who also made bomb threats, is a 33-year-old Blenheim resident.

Both pilots, who suffered knife wounds, are now in hospital and Police and Transport Minister Annette King has called for an urgent report on the incident.

The woman, who police said was originally from Somalia, made bomb threats claiming there were two bombs on board the plane.

Latest developments:
* A woman attacks two pilots on a Blenheim to Christchurch flight
* Armed police storm plane and arrest woman
* She claims there are two bombs on board
* Pilots taken to hospital with knife wounds
* Witnesses describe scene of chaos as airport evacuated
* Bomb squad searching the plane
* Woman identified as a 33-year-old from Blenheim

Superintendent Dave Cliff said the passengers were not in danger of the aircraft "coming to grief" at any stage.

He said the pilots' conversation with ground authorities was "somewhat stilted" but they were able to continue speaking with them.

Both pilots have been taken to hospital with knife wounds and one had severe cuts to his hands.

Mr Cliff said the woman has not been charged and it is too early to say what charges she could face.

"We don't know exactly what was said. We don't know if she made any demands," Mr Cliff said.

The army bomb squad is still checking the plane and passenger luggage for any signs of explosives. Police in Blenheim are doing background checks on the woman in her home town.

Mr Cliff said police have found two knives, one on the woman they are speaking to and one on the tarmac.

The other passengers on board - four New Zealanders, one Australian and an Indian - are being spoken to by police.

Earlier News Reports on this event . . .

A female passenger has been arrested and a pilot is reportedly in hospital after a possible stabbing on a flight from Blenheim to Christchurch this morning.

One witness described the scene as "like something from a Bruce Willis movie". Andrew Sare said the woman was hauled off the plane by armed police, handcuffed and forced to the ground.

Police issued a statement just minutes ago saying that a May Day call was received from the plane - an Air National Flight operated by Eagle Air travelling from Blenheim to Christchurch - at around 7.40am.

The call, routed to police from the NZ Rescue Co-ordination centre in Wellington, said a female passenger had attacked the pilots before she was bundled out of the cockpit.

The pilots told police they had suffered minor injuries.

According to police, the passenger also claimed she had a bomb on board.

Superintendent Dave Cliff said the plane, which landed safely at Christchurch airport at 8.06am, was still being searched.

All nine passengers on board were safe, he said.

He will hold a briefing at 10.30am on police inquiries.

A source at Christchurch Airport said the woman has been taken away in an ambulance, possibly suffering dog-bites.

It is understood the incident may have been a hijacking attempt, National Radio said, and there are reports that an electronic device was found on board the plane.

The bomb squad is at the scene.

An eye witness said the area is in utter chaos, with unmoving traffic banked up hundreds of metres.

"Passengers are getting out of their cars and walking up to their flights, and staff are walking through to the airport," the man, who did not want to be named, said.

A stabbed pilot was able to walk off the plane, but was rushed to hospital, NZPA reported.

It is understood three or four people were taken from the airport by St John Ambulance.

An army spokesman confirmed the bomb squad had been called in to defuse a device.

It was reported to have been in the woman's bag.

Philippa Green, a passenger at the airport, said passengers were at first told to stay away from the terminal's windows but the entire airport was now being evacuated.

She said: "There are people everywhere saying 'get out, get out, get out'."

She was waiting on another plane when the incident unfolded. She saw the woman, who she described as being middle-aged and dressed in black clothes, being arrested by armed police.

Ms Green said all shops and services are being evacuated after reports that a bomb was on board the plane.

Security guards had initially warned people to move away from the windows but now the entire airport is being evacuated.

The domestic terminal is closed due to the bomb threat, and all visitors to the airport are advised to travel to the international terminal until further notice.

"From what I've heard, there was a woman on board who attempted to stab both pilots," Ms Green said.

Ms Green said people were not being told why they had to leave the airport and are being told they have to leave the airport immediately.

The plane involved in the incident was towed to the far end of the airport, she said.

Police seized the woman after the plane, a Jetstream J32, landed at Christchurch Airport.

None of the seven passengers on board were injured, Air NZ said.

A flotilla of police and fire appliances rushed to the airport after an emergency alert was issued.

The airport is closed with flights cancelled and a backlog of passengers building in the terminal.

Police and Transport Minister Annette King says she has asked NZ Police and the Aviation Security Service to provide her and the Minister for Transport Safety, Harry Duynhoven, with urgent reports on the incident this morning.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Ms King said the matter is being handled by the police and the Aviation Security Service.

St John Ambulance can only confirm that they attended an incident at the airport but would not comment further.

They could not say if anyone has been transported to hospital.

Civil Aviation authority spokesman Bill Sommer said the passengers are safe and the aeroplane has been taken to an isolated spot on the tarmac

He said an investigation into what happened on the flight will be carried out.

- NZ HERALD STAFF, NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB