Hijack pilots lauded as heroes

Two Air National pilots have received civil aviation's highest international award for heroism for tackling a knife-wielding hijacker on a flight from Blenheim last year.

Nelson pilots Dion McMillan and Ross Haverfield were honoured with the International Airline Pilots' Association Polaris Award for heroism at a ceremony in Auckland on Saturday night.

The pilots were confronted by a woman with a knife 10 minutes into their flight from Blenheim to Christchurch on February 8 last year.

She allegedly thrust the knife at Mr McMillan, cutting him, while claiming to have two bombs in her luggage and demanding to be flown to Australia.

The pilots landed the Air National plane at Christchurch after a tense and frightening flight from Blenheim and tackled the woman in the aisle after the seven passengers were allowed to disembark. Mr McMillan's hand was badly injured during the struggle.

The pilot's names had been suppressed by the courts until last month, when the order was sought to be lifted because of the award presentation.

Mr McMillan, the pilot in command of that flight, accepted the award on behalf of co-pilot Mr Haverfield.

He had earlier said he was pleased to be recognised: "It was an unusual situation and we had a good outcome. I am pleased it has all worked out so well."

Mr McMillan said he often thought back to how lucky he was that day. The outcome could have been much more serious.

Air National sales and marketing manager Richard Bagnall said the company was thrilled the pilots had been recognised.

"We are proud of the boys for doing what they did. We're happy that they have been recognised."

Both men still worked for the company, he said.

Air National was flying the Blenheim to Christchurch route for Air New Zealand at the time of the hijacking.

Meanwhile, the trial of the accused hijacker, Asha Ali Abdille, has been set down for two weeks in September. Abdille, a 34-year-old Blenheim vineyard worker, is accused of hijacking a passenger flight from Blenheim to Christchurch on February 8, 2008, taking an offensive weapon onto an aircraft, and four charges of wounding or injuring with reckless disregard for safety.

- The Marlborough Express