Vancouver airport hijack suspect in brief B.C. court appearance, lawyer to seek bail

RICHMOND — The man accused of allegedly hijacking a plane that triggered a security incident at Vancouver International Airport appeared briefly in a provincial court in Richmond, B.C., where his lawyer says they’re working on a plan to have him released on bail.

Shaheer Cassim was dressed in an orange prison outfit and acknowledged he could see and hear the judge, who scheduled another appearance for Cassim in two weeks.

An agent for Cassim’s defence lawyer Kevin Westell says they’ll take the time to work on a bail plan for the former commercial pilot who faces charges for allegedly taking a small aircraft from Victoria’s airport on July 15 and flying it over the Vancouver airport before he was arrested upon landing.

The hearing Tuesday lasted minutes before the case was put over until Aug. 12, and the Crown prosecutor gave no indication whether bail for Cassim would be supported or opposed.

Cassim, who is 39 years old, has been in custody at a pretrial facility in Surrey since his arrest and his court files have been placed under publication bans.

He’s been charged with hijacking, which is an offence constituting terrorism, and with damaging or interfering with a navigation system.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2025.

Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press