And other travel news you may have missed.
This week in travel, we’ve uncovered several stories that might have flown under your radar. Among them: a U.S. citizen attempted to hijack a plane in Belize; Boeing planes meant for a Chinese airline were returned to Seattle; and two German teenagers were deported from Hawaii due to the status of their hotel plans.
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
NO.1
AMERICAN CITIZEN TRIES TO HIJACK PLANE IN BELIZE
A U.S. citizen and military veteran attempted to hijack a small plane in Belize last week. Akinyela Sawa Taylor brandished a knife and demanded to be taken out of the country shortly after takeoff. Taylor stabbed the pilot and two other people on board. One of the injured passengers was carrying a registered firearm and shot him.
Authorities took the wounded passengers and the alleged hijacker to the hospital after landing outside Belize City, where Taylor died from the gunshot wound. There were 13 other people on board.
The pilot of Tropic Air circled between Belize City and northern Belize while the hijacking was underway, almost running out of fuel. Tropic Air Belize CEO Maximillian Greif called the pilot’s actions heroic. He said, “Our pilots undergo rigorous training to respond effectively and efficiently to any situation, and today we pause to recognize the bravery, skill, and leadership that brought our aircraft home safely.”
It is still not known how Taylor managed to take a knife on board and how he entered the country after being refused entry.
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NO.2
TWO TOURISTS DROWN NEAR THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Two British citizens were swept out to sea while swimming in a town near the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. A 46-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy were on a beach in the town of Seventeen Seventy. They were pulled from the water by a rescue helicopter, and another man, an Australian, is in the hospital with head injuries. Rescue authority Surf Life Saving Queensland told ABC, “We’re not sure whether the third person jumped into the water trying to perform a rescue.”
In the town of Seventeen Seventy, named after the year Captain Cook arrived there, there is only one beach with lifeguards. Tourists should exercise caution when swimming in the country, which had 177 drownings last year.
NO.3
BOEING JETS RETURN TO THE U.S.
The escalating tariff war between the U.S. and China took a new turn when Boeing jets meant for Chinese airlines returned to the U.S. On Sunday, a 737 Max with Xiamen Airlines livery landed in Seattle after refueling in Guam and Hawaii. It was one of many planes at the manufacturer’s completion center in Zhoushan for final touches before delivery, CNN reported.
According to Reuters, a second jet also made its way back to American soil after completion at Boeing’s facility near Shanghai.
Last week, China told its airlines to stop purchasing jets and aircraft parts from the U.S. after the U.S. imposed 145% tariffs on China. The Asian country retaliated with 125% tariffs on imports from the U.S. The tariffs have increased the prices of goods, and even Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary is planning to delay the delivery of jets from Boeing.
Related: China Tells Airlines to Stop Buying From America
NO.4
U.S. AGENTS DEPORT GERMAN TEENAGERS FROM HAWAII
Two German tourists were denied entry to the U.S. and deported from Hawai’i after border officers found their plans suspicious.
Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepère, 18, arrived in Honolulu on March 18, and they had the required ESTA approval. However, they were interrogated, strip-searched, and deported because they didn’t have hotel bookings for their entire five-week stay.
Pohl explained, “They found it suspicious that we hadn’t fully booked our accommodations for the entire five weeks in Hawaii.” The teenagers, on a trip around the world after high school, had previously visited Thailand and New Zealand and thought they could travel spontaneously as they had in those countries. But their lack of accommodation led them to a prison, where they alleged they spent the night on a moldy mattress.
Lepère said, “We had already noticed a little bit of what was going on in the U.S. But at the time, we didn’t think it was happening to Germans. That was perhaps very naive. We felt so small and powerless.”
On March 19, they were handcuffed and taken back to the Honolulu airport, and three days after their arrest, they made their way back to their hometown of Rostock after flying first to Tokyo, then Qatar, and Frankfurt.
Germany has issued an advisory for its citizens to remind them that ESTA doesn’t guarantee entry into the United States; it is up to border officials to make that decision. Other Germans have also been detained in the U.S. recently.
Related: A Running List of Countries Issuing U.S. Travel Advisories
NO.5
AMERICAN AIRLINES WILL START OFFERING FREE WI-FI AT LAST
American Airlines announced last week that it will start offering free wi-fi on 90% of its flights. Members of its free loyalty program, AAdvantage, will be able to stay connected while flying with the airline, it said in a press release.
The airline has partnered with AT&T to bring “connectivity on more planes than any other domestic carrier.” It conducted a test to determine the strength of the connection, and according to the airline, it “surpassed performance expectations.” Around 500 regional aircraft will be outfitted this year to allow users to enjoy free wi-fi.
American Airlines is one of several U.S. airlines to currently charge for Wi-Fi; prices range from $10 to $599 for an annual pass.
