A harrowing hostage situation aboard a CanJet plane at a Jamaican airport ended peacefully yesterday, the Halifax airline confirmed.
Kent Woodside, vice-president and general manager of CanJet Airlines, said all 174 passengers and eight crew members walked off hijacked Flight 918 unharmed.
The gunman released most travellers not long after forcing his way through security and onto the plane, but six crewmembers were held for hours before being freed by anti-terrorism officers.
The Jamaican government identified the suspect as Stephen Fray of Montego Bay, a mentally challenged man in his early 20s.
“I’d like to praise the professionalism and bravery of our crew, who, while trained to deal with serious incidents, would have hoped never to have to deal with this reality,” Woodside said.
Passengers included Brenda Grenier of Dartmouth, who told CTV News that the armed man forced the pilot out of the plane before firing a shot out the back of the plane.
“Everybody’s crying and shaking and scared,” she recalled.
“We’re all praying to God, let this be over.”
