British Airways has praised the efforts of the crew involved in the incident on flight BA2069 early this morning (Friday December 29).

Mike Street, the airline’s Director of Customer Service and Operations said; “We are extremely proud of them, our flight and cabin crew are trained to deal with every eventuality, however rare. It was this training and the swift reactions of our crew that brought this situation to a safe and quick resolution.”

Captain William Hagan (age 53), one of the airline’s most experienced pilots with 30 years service, was in charge of the Boeing 747-400 which was en-route from London Gatwick to Nairobi

Speaking from Nairobi, he said “It all happened very quickly, my first thought was for the safety of the aircraft and the passengers. We just did what we are trained to do.

“In the struggle the intruder bit my ear and finger but my first officer, Richard Webb, and I managed to get him out of the cockpit while my other first officer, Phil Watson, flew the aircraft. With the help of some passengers we managed to restrain the intruder.

“Thanks to the quick thinking of my colleagues and the passengers, this incident was brought to a swift conclusion.

“I’m very proud of my two first officers and cabin crew and I’m very grateful for the assistance from our passengers.”

The airline has launched an immediate investigation into the incident and issued a contact number for relatives. In the UK it is 0845 6040172, internationally it is +44 20 8 283 9677.

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