On Sunday morning, Volaris Airlines reported that one of the passengers flying from El Bajío to Tijuana , Baja California, attempted to divert the plane toward the United States “through the use of force.”
A Volaris Airbus A320-233 aircraft (N526VL), while operating flight Y43041 from Silao Del Bajio International Airport (BJX) to Tijuana International Airport (TIJ), Mexico, a Passenger tried to take over the flight mid-air (FL330) by force to divert it to the United States, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Guadalajara (GDL).
Through a statement , the Airline has explained that the crew followed the established security procedures and managed to take the aircraft to Guadalajara , Jalisco.
According to Mexican authorities, the incident happened before 7 A.M. A flight heading to Tijuana from Bajío–a region in central Mexico was interrupted by a passenger who, by force, tried "to divert the plane toward the United States."
According to the Volaris statement , once they managed to neutralize the passenger, they had to divert the plane to the Perla Tapatía emergency area where they placed him at the disposal and custody of the corresponding authorities.
Visuals: https://x.com/fl360aero/status/1865869175060926585
Preliminary reports did not specify the intended U.S. destination or the motive behind the passenger's attempt to divert the flight. However, Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana has released a statement in this regard.
The airline has filed charges against the individual "to ensure that he faces the full extent of the law."
“ Volaris has been appointed as the plaintiff to ensure that the company faces the full weight of the law , to its ultimate consequences …”, the carrier said.
Volaris also regretted the inconvenience and reiterated that the most important thing for them is the safety of their passengers and crew.
"All passengers, crew, and the aircraft are safe. The remaining passengers were accommodated and continued their journey to their final destination," Volaris wrote in a statement, regretting the "inconvenience this situation may have caused."
Volaris CEO Enrique Beltranena addressed the incident in a separate statement, saying:
“Today we faced an exceptional situation on Volaris flight 3041, which was covering the El Bajío – Tijuana route. A passenger tried to divert the aircraft to the United States,” said Beltranena. “But thanks to the professionalism and rapid response of our crew, the established security protocols were activated and the flight was diverted to the Guadalajara airport.”
“I would like to acknowledge and thank our team for their bravery and commitment in protecting the safety of everyone on board,” Beltranena added.
According to the press release of the Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana, the man who tried to divert the route of Volaris flight 3041, claimed that he did so because he was threatened with death if he arrived in Tijuana.
