‘I’m sorry, I’m really sorry’: B.C. hijacker speaks to CTV News from jail

A man charged with hijacking an aircraft in Victoria and flying it to Vancouver International Airport says he wanted to send a message about climate change.

A man charged after a small plane was hijacked last year, triggering a security scare at Vancouver International Airport, has pleaded guilty to two charges.

Standing in the prisoner’s box in provincial court in Richmond, Shaheer Cassim, a former commercial pilot, admitted to hijacking with intent to alter a flight plan and interfering with the operation of the airport.

In a phone interview from prison, he repeatedly apologized for his actions.

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry,” Cassim told CTV News.

Defence lawyer, Mo Vayeghan, told court Tuesday that he’ll be asking for a psychiatric report and noted that Cassim has a significant history of serious mental health issues including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Cassim was arrested at Vancouver International Airport on July 15 of last year after a flight instructor in Victoria was threatened and their Cessna airplane was taken and flown to Vancouver.

With the Cessna flying overhead, operations at the Vancouver airport were grounded and all non-essential employees were told to leave the airport tower.

U.S. fighter planes were mustered and Canada’s CF-18’s were preparing for take-off.

Nine planes were diverted during the incident.

“I didn’t know that and I sincerely regret that I caused that, which again is why I only circled for 15 minutes rather than five hours for which I had fuel,” Cassim said on the phone.

Cassim said he took the plane to declare a climate emergency.

“I wanted to act as a fire alarm for humanity to let people know we have less than two years before the sea ice disappears in the arctic,” he said.

Cassim, who remains in custody, returns to court May 28.

Hijacking carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.