Why didn’t he just land in Italy as scheduled and then take a connecting flight or perhaps the train to Switzerland?

He could have even hired a car.

Because Italy has a robust stance on illegal immigration/asylum seeking due to being the closest port of call to Africa? He didnt think he’d be able to cross European land borders, what with being an Ethiopian national?

odd to land in Switzerland though, having just taken a lurch to the right on, er, immigration.

Whereas the Swiss will just lock him up, send him back or lock him up then send him back.

His bid for freedom means he’ll now be incarcerated in prison, instead of enjoying, for an Ethiopian, a pretty good lifestyle, being an airline pilot n’all.
Facepalm, for sure.

Yeah I did raise an eyebrow when it said he’d diverted from Italy to Switzerland. Maybe he’d got all his info from WWII films.

The Swiss aviation office has set up a crisis-management group, said spokesman Urs Holderegger. Two Eurofighter aircraft of Italian origin escorted the aircraft to the airport. Swiss fighter jets weren’t deployed as the incident occurred outside normal office hours, the Swiss Air Force said.

They ought to make him wash the plain in a pink onesie as punishment !

in full view of the departure lounge

you can listen to the last 10 minutes here Flight ET702

Maybe he actually has a genuine fear of persecution in Ethiopia? Although I would have thought even a co-pilot in Ethiopia would have been able to afford a visa for European travel?

Perhaps not!

Easier than divorce?

Swiss fighter jets weren’t deployed as the incident occurred outside normal office hours, the Swiss Air Force said.

Bloody unions!

dirtyrider – Member

Swiss fighter jets weren’t deployed as the incident occurred outside normal office hours, the Swiss Air Force said.

That is class “Hi, you’ve reached the Swiss Air Force, I’m afraid we can’t intercept your call right now but you can leave a message, or call back between 9am and 5pm and we will be sure to shoot you down”

You don’t get many attacks when you have a policy of not invading your neighbours and not bombing people into freedom.

or when you have all the ill gotten riches of other countries corrupt leaders locked away for safe keeping, no questions asked….

and of course they make Toblerone. Duty free would not be the same without it!

You don’t get many attacks when you have a policy of not invading your neighbours and not bombing people into freedom.

You’re right – they must keep all those squadrons of jets so they can pick up emergency kebabs for the night shift…

The jets belong to the Swiss police?

The jets belong to the Swiss police?

where did you read that?

Switzerland has a huge army albeit most of it is going about its day to day life as most adult males are conscripted and have to go back periodically for training as well as keep their kit at home. Yes, there is a question WHY they need an army at all in this day and age but I guess you could say that for most countries; relatively few countries actually fight wars to defend the homeland nowadays.

or when you have all the ill gotten riches of other countries corrupt leaders locked away for safe keeping, no questions asked….

People that don’t know much about Switzerland or private banking often say this sort of thing. Anonymous accounts are no longer permitted in Switzerland, KYC is better than anywhere else (though still not perfect) and banking secrecy laws have been radically reformed.

France, the US, UK and Australia have their own track records of sheltering despotic money, companies and persons – as well as bombing the shit out of less developed countries.