Apartments, cash and car for foiling ‘hijackers’

A CHINESE airline has awarded cash and apartments worth ­millions to a nine-member plane crew that foiled a hijack attempt last month, state media reported.

Six Uighur men were arrested for the alleged attempt to seize control of the commercial jet in China’s restive far west region of Xinjiang on 29 June. Two later died from injuries sustained while fighting the crew and passengers. An overseas rights group says the incident was a brawl over a seat dispute, not a hijacking attempt.

Xinjiang is home to a large population of minority Uighurs, but is ruled by China’s ethnic majority Hans. Clashes are common between authorities and Uighurs resentful of government controls over their religion and culture.

Officials said six men tried to break into the cockpit using a broken aluminium crutch as a weapon, but were overpowered by passengers and crew.

The hijack attempt took place just days before the third anniversary of the July 2009 anti-Han Chinese riots that saw almost 200 people killed.

Zhang Chunxian, Communist Party chief for Xinjiang, vowed last week to use “iron fists” on “separatist forces” in the region.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported that Hainan Airlines, the parent company of the flight operator, awarded the chief flight attendant and two security guards one million yuan (£100,000) in cash, an apartment worth three million yuan and a car. The others each received 500,000 yuan in cash, a two million yuan apartment and a car.

All 22 passengers on the flight will receive free lifetime airfares from the airline, Xinhua said.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China, Xinjiang’s regional government and the government of south China’s Hainan province, where the airline is headquartered, also each made awards to the crew, passengers and security guards.