VANCOUVER, British Columbia (BN24) — A Canadian man has been charged with hijacking a small aircraft and prompting a security alert that led to U.S. fighter jets being scrambled over British Columbia, in what police are now calling an ideologically motivated act.
Shaheer Cassim, 39, was charged with aircraft hijacking constituting terrorism following the Tuesday incident that began at Victoria International Airport and ended safely at Vancouver International Airport, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Investigators say Cassim took control of a Cessna 172 after threatening a flight instructor, then flew the aircraft roughly 40 miles across the Georgia Strait, triggering a swift security response.
Authorities said Cassim’s actions were driven by ideological motives, stating the suspect intended to disrupt airspace. “Investigators have determined the suspect acted with an ideological motive to disrupt airspace,” RCMP Sgt. Tammy Lobb said in a statement.
The hijacking forced the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to scramble two F-15 fighter jets as a precaution. Air traffic control recordings posted to liveatc.net captured the urgency of the moment, with one controller heard saying, “We have an incident right above our airspace here — a hijacked 172.”
The aircraft landed safely at Vancouver International Airport, where it was quickly surrounded by security vehicles. The airport halted all operations for 39 minutes, diverting nine inbound flights. Vancouver Airport communications head Stephen Smart told CBC News the response “could have lasted a lot longer” if not for the rapid coordination of emergency teams.
Online posts by a man matching Cassim’s identity show he had described himself as a “messenger of Allah” and claimed to have received divine revelations through the Angel Gabriel. He also warned of “abrupt runaway global warming,” predicting near-term human extinction. In the same posts, he claimed to be “Sam Carana,” the pseudonymous operator of the Arctic News blog, which focuses on extreme climate change scenarios.
Cassim previously worked as a pilot with KD Air, a now-defunct Vancouver Island-based airline. The former owners, Diana and Lars Banke, expressed shock at the charges. “He was one of the smartest and best pilots we had,” said Lars Banke. “He got bored and said he was going to medical school.” Diana Banke added that Cassim had been “like a kid” when he worked for them and had never expressed religious beliefs at the time.
The accused had previously drawn media attention in 2012 when he held a press conference before launching a cross-country bicycle campaign to raise awareness about climate change.
British Columbia Premier David Eby called the incident “a bizarre moment” and praised the responders’ ability to de-escalate the situation before it caused serious harm. “The fact that it ended without a more significant disruption at the airport is a testament to their skill,” he said.
The charges Cassim faces fall under Canada’s terrorism legislation. If convicted, he could face a lengthy prison sentence. A judicial process is expected to determine whether his ideological motives qualify under federal terrorism statutes.
