A British Columbia pilot who stole a Cessna 172 and barged into Vancouver International Airport without clearance has pleaded guilty to two terrorism offenses for an incident in July of 2025. Shaheer Cassim entered the pleas on charges of hijacking an aircraft and interfering with the operation of Vancouver International. Both charges are considered terrorist activities under Canadian law and sentencing is expected to reflect that. His sentencing hearing will be set next month. Hijacking carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Cassim took the airplane from the Victoria Flying Club, about 30 miles south of Vancouver, after posting on social media that he wanted to save humanity from climate change. He circled the Vancouver airport for 15 minutes to disrupt flights and call attention to climate issues. Nine flights were delayed or diverted. After controllers cleared the airspace around Vancouver and NORAD scrambled two fighters, Cassim landed on one of the main runways and was immediately surrounded by law enforcement. He was arrested and the airport stayed closed for a couple of hours. Cassim is a commercial pilot and worked for a small airline on Vancouver Island. Its owners described him as “a highly intelligent and talented pilot who believed the world was coming to an end,” according to the CBC.
”who believed the world was coming to an end”, in other words he’s nuts and has no business with a commercial pilots license.
I guess his future flying will be relegated to paper airplanes in his cell. Probably best for the flying community.
Chicken Little…
Doesn’t sound like terrorism as we generally consider it in these times. Sounds like mental illness as in need for treatment, and no more flying for this boy. Many years ago, we had an instructor at the FAA Academy who had been just as normal as you can imagine until one day. He suddenly came into work and just sat at his desk contemplating when the world would be ending, like soon. He even went so far as to finally mark the date on his chalk board for all to see. He sat for weeks waiting, and I guess was very disappointed when the day finally came and was gone. He never again returned to normal social behavior. When I transferred out, he was still sitting there and waiting. Other than his very odd behavior, in his non ATC active position, he was not able to affect anything of significance. Don’t know what ever happened to him.
“a highly intelligent and talented pilot who believed the world was coming to an end,”
Should be in the definition of oxymoron in Webster’s.