Ryanair boss: airlines must fly over rogue states despite Belarus ‘hijacking’

Michael O'Leary tells MPs of hostile and threatening' actions towards flight crew

Airlines must remain free to fly over rogue states despite the state-sponsored hijacking" of a plane by Belarus, according to the boss of Ryanair, as he told MPs of the hostile and threatening" actions towards the flight crew in Minsk.

The captain and five crew of Ryanair flight FR4978 from Athens to Vilnius were put under armed guard in Minsk after diverting the plane for a fake bomb threat - apparently staged to allow the Belarus government to capture an opposition journalist among the 126 passengers. Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega were arrested on landing.