"First published on Qassia"

New Zealand had its first attempted air hi-jacking this morning, Pacific time, when a deranged or highly disturbed Somalian woman refugee attacked the pilot and co - pilot of a small 19 seater regional aircraft with a knife.

She demanded to be taken to Australia 2,000 miles away. The flight from Blenheim to Christchurch is less than 200 miles in any case, and lacking fuel to go much further than that distance.

During a fracas with the pilots she stabbed or cut them with a knife. The pilot received a wound to the foot, and the co - pilot, who was obviously defending the pilot, received wounds to his hand and possibly his arm as well. She claimed to have a bomb in her luggage!

The pilot isssued a mayday call, and armed police and emergency crews were on standby at Christchurch Airport for the arrival of the plane, which landed well, despite the injuries to the flight crew.

Four or five police, some armed, dragged the screaming and struggling North African woman off the plane, and subsequently arrested her.

A bomb alert resulted in the plane being towed to an isolated area of the airport; police and emergency crews retreated back 150 metres and waited until an all clear was issued.

Meanwhile the airport was closed down to all incoming and outward flights; passengers and general public being instructed to keep away from glass windows in the domestic terminal.

Later, passengers for other delayed flights were transfered to the international terminal with people being asked to cancel non-urgent tickets.

At a later press conference police explained the situation as much as they knew it: the Somalian woman had had personal issues for some time and had wanted to return to Somalia. She had come to New Zealand as a solo refugee as an 18 year old and had never settled into the NZ way of life and culture. She may well get her wish to return to Somalia.

The pilots were taken to Christchurch Hospital and had their wounds sutured. They are physically well, but very shaken up.

The airport is returning to normal as passengers from delayed flights are getting to their destinations on other flights.

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