London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

Ryanair CEO: Belarus flight diversion was 'state-sponsored hijacking'

Ryanair CEO: Belarus flight diversion was 'state-sponsored hijacking'

EU Council will meet Monday to discuss potential action against Belarus for the Ryanair incident

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has accused Belarus of a "state-sponsored hijacking" and "state-sponsored piracy" after the country forced Flight 4978, heading from Athens to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, to divert to the city of Minsk on Sunday.

The Belarus presidential press service said a bomb threat was received while the plane was over Belarusian territory. However, officials later said no explosives were found.


O'Leary told Newstalk Breakfast that the incident was "very frightening" for passengers and crews, noting they were held under armed guard and had their bags searched.

Upon landing, local authorities arrested journalist and opposition blogger Roman Protasevich, who is wanted in Belarus on a variety of charges that could reportedly result in the death penalty. European Humanities University student and Protasevich's travel companion, Sofia Sapega, was also detained.

"It appears the intent of the authorities was to remove a journalist and his travelling companion," O'Leary said. "We believe there were some KGB agents offloaded at the airport as well."

The Ryanair plane with registration number SP-RSM, carrying opposition figure Roman Protasevich, which was traveling from Athens to Vilnius and was diverted to Minsk after a bomb threat, lands at the International Airport outside Vilnius, Lithuania, Sunday, May 23, 2021.

Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney confirmed on RTE's Morning Ireland program Monday that "either five or six people didn't reboard" the plane after it landed, suggesting that "a number of the other people who left the plane were secret service."


He added that he wasn't sure whether the agents were KGB, but noted they were "clearly linked to the Belarusian regime."

The incident has prompted condemnation across Europe toward Belarus and its leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Coveney, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, French diplomat Vincent Guerend, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen all said the incident is "unnacceptable" and emphasized that Belarus must face consequences for its actions.




Leyen added that the individuals responsible for the Ryanair incident must be sanctioned and Protasevich must be released.


European Humanities University said in a statement that Sapega's arrest was based on "groundless and made-up conditions" and noted she was getting prepared for the defense of her master’s thesis in Vilnius.

"The University insists on providing immediate consular assistance to Sofia," EHU added. "In addition to that, EHU calls on international partners, donors and human rights defenders to assist in releasing Sofia."


Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted that the United States strongly condemns "the Lukashenko regime’s brazen and shocking act to divert a commercial flight and arrest a journalist."

"We demand an international investigation and are coordinating with our partners on next steps," Blinken added. "The United States stands with the people of Belarus."

Belarus was rocked by protests since the Aug. 9 election that handed Lukashenko a victory with 80% of the vote, which many claimed was a rigged election.

The EU Council will meet Monday to discuss potential actions against Belarus for the incident. In addition, members will also discuss whether to implement a ban on airlines flying over Belarus airspace.


Airline airBaltic said in a statement on Monday that it would avoid flying near Belarus airspace until "the situation becomes clearer or a decision is issued by authorities."


While O'Leary points out that the potential change would be "a very minor adjustment," he said Ryanair will await official guidance from European authorities before adjusting its flights.

Belarus argues that Western countries are acting "hastily" by making "belligerent" statements about Sunday's incident.

Foreign ministry press secretary Anatoliy Glaz told Russian state media RIA Novosti that a "number of countries" and the EU were making "deliberately politicized, unsupported accusations," and that those nations have "no apparent desire to understand it objectively."

Glaz defended Belarus' actions on Sunday as "fully justified" to ensure the safety of the flight's passengers and crew, adding there is "no doubt that the actions of our competent authorities were also in full compliance with the established international rules."

Russia, a key ally of Belarus, has declined to comment on the diverted fight. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with journalists Monday that it would defer to international aviation authorities regarding whether Belarus was compliant with regulations.

"We simply do not have this information: Who flew out? Where did they fly from? What are the reasons?" Peskov said, according to a translation of his remarks. "Therefore, I cannot comment on anything."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×