A 31-year-old passenger aboard a Volaris domestic flight attempted to hijack the aircraft and redirect it to the United States.
The flight, an Airbus A320, was en route from León, Guanajuato, to Tijuana when it was forced to make an emergency landing at Guadalajara International Airport just 45 minutes after takeoff
According to AFP report, authorities reported that the passenger, identified as Mario, assaulted a flight attendant and attempted to breach the cockpit, claiming his family had been threatened.
According to the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), the man alleged that a close relative had been kidnapped and that he had received death threats upon departure from León, warning him against traveling to Tijuana.
The crew acted swiftly to subdue the suspect, who was reportedly traveling with his wife and two children. Following protocol, the pilot issued an alert code and diverted the flight to Guadalajara, where the plane landed safely. The suspect was handed over to local authorities.
Guanajuato, where the flight originated, is one of the regions hardest hit by drug cartel violence in Mexico, with widespread crimes such as extortion and kidnapping.
“Volaris regrets the inconvenience caused by this situation. The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority,” the airline said in a statement. They confirmed that all passengers, crew members, and the aircraft were unharmed.
Following the arrest, the flight resumed its journey to Tijuana.