Man denied entry into Jamaica after trying to breach plane's cockpit
Published:Monday | January 2, 2017 | 12:00 AM
There were nervous moments on board an early-morning Caribbean Airlines flight from New York to the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston on Sunday when a male passenger attempted to breach the cockpit of the plane.
Gleaner sources said that the passenger was subsequently restrained for the duration of the flight and the plane landed safely at the NMIA. Upon arrival, the sources revealed that the aircraft was met by law-enforcement officials and the passenger was deplaned, but refused entry into the country by immigration authorities.
A police source gave the passenger's name as Deondre DaCosta and said that he had been detained at the NMIA, pending return to his country. His nationality has not been ascertained and airline and police officials declined to give further details.
Linval Houston, an immigration supervisor, told The Gleaner, "We don't wish to divulge any information about the incident at this time."
He said that persons who are deemed to be prohibited immigrants would be taken into custody and returned to the country of origin at the next available flight. He said that it was the responsibility of the carrier to transport the person. Houston further said that if the person was deemed to be a security risk, a security official would accompany that person on the return flight.
LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT
In confirming the incident, Director General of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority Nari Williams-Singh told The Gleaner: "I heard about it yesterday (Sunday). There was an issue with a disruptive passenger on a Caribbean Airlines flight. The passenger was restrained and the flight landed without incident."
Dionne Ligoure, head of corporate communications for Caribbean Airlines, said, "I can confirm that there was a disruptive passenger on Flight 014 on January 1. The crew acted in accordance with all the required procedures and asked for the aircraft to be met on arrival by law-enforcement officials. The plane was met and there was no harm to anyone."
An incident report from Caribbean Airlines detailing the events of the disruption is pending, Williams-Singh told The Gleaner.