Egyptian security agents foiled a would-be hijacker who threatened the crew with the plastic knife provided for his in-flight meal.
The Sudanese man, who the police identified as Mohammed Hamad Nourain, 26, was reportedly high on cocaine when we unsuccessfully attempted to commandeer the EgyptAir flight from Istanbul to Cairo.
Why did this man attempt to hijack the plane? And could this mean the end of plastic cutlery for in-flight meals?
Nourain allegedly demanded that the crew divert the plane to Jerusalem so he could “liberate” the city. He later told investigators that he was not a member of any extremist groups.
Nourain was reportedly carrying a counterfeit passport in hopes of hiding out in Greece to escape Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur region.
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Onboard security guards swiftly sprang into action to calm and detain Nourain before he could harm any of the crew or the flight’s 87 passengers.
If you’re familiar with the plastic knives provided for in-flight meals, you may have noticed that they can scarcely cut butter, let alone serve as a formidable weapon. They are called “knives” because they resemble the shape of the popular utensil, not because they cut things particularly well.
It would likely require some MacGyver-esque manipulation to turn a plastic knife into anything dangerous. Even pencils, pillows, or paper cuts from SkyMall magazine seem to pose more of a threat than plastic knives.
Even though this was an isolated and futile attempt by a man high on cocaine, passengers will wonder if they’ll be served nothing but finger-foods (if any meal at all) as airlines ponder the safety risks of plastic cutlery.
The flight eventually made a safe landing at Cairo airport, where state security arrested and questioned the man.
By Dan Bence for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related Links: AP, MSNBC, Reuters
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