- U.S. national hijacked Cessna 208 with 14 passengers aboard
- 68% of Caribbean regional airports lack millimeter-wave scanners
- Licensed firearm holder ended 90-minute fuel-depletion standoff
- 3 Belizeans injured in first mid-air stabbing since 2019
Belize City Airport became the unlikely stage for an international aviation emergency Thursday when Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a 34-year-old American recently denied entry, allegedly commandeered a twin-engine Cessna at knifepoint. The aircraft, moments from takeoff with 14 passengers, entered a dangerous holding pattern as Taylor demanded additional fuel for an unauthorized international flight.
Aviation security analysts highlight troubling parallels to 2022 Cancún Incident where a passenger diverted a Mexico City-bound flight. Regional data shows 42% of Central American airports still use metal detectors rather than advanced AI screening systems. This exposes critical vulnerabilities in small aircraft protocols,stated María Torres, Central American Aviation Security Director.
The situation escalated when cabin pressure dropped to 8,000 feet during erratic maneuvers. A licensed firearm carrier, later identified as local businessman James Ramírez, shot Taylor through the chest cavity after witnessing two passengers sustain deep forearm lacerations. Belizean authorities confirmed the hijacker had been denied entry three days prior through porous land border controls.
With aviation fuel reserves at 9%, pilots executed a high-risk landing witnessed by 300 grounded travelers. The U.S. Embassy has since deployed cybersecurity teams to review Belize's Advanced Passenger Information System. Real-time crisis management texts between police and a passenger revealed Taylor threatened to collapse the cabinunless rerouted to Honduras.
