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Outlook: The former boxer who helped avert a plane hijack

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Tarik Sahibeddine in the plane cockpit

27/11/2023 GMT

The former boxer who helped avert a plane hijack

BBC World Service - Outlook, The former boxer who helped avert a plane hijack

On a flight in 2018 Tarik Sahibeddine found himself at the centre of a drama in the sky

Tarik Sahibeddine is a boxer turned social worker who found himself at the centre of a drama in the sky.

Tarik Sahibeddine is a former French boxing champion who was on his way back from a holiday to celebrate his wedding anniversary when he became involved in an incident with a fellow passenger, who claimed he wanted to hijack the plane. The passenger was experiencing a mental health crisis. Not only was Tarik a seasoned boxer, he has also worked for many years with vulnerable young people, teaching them the skills of boxing. He sees boxing as a misunderstood art, which he says is as much about the mind as about physicality. In the end the crew asked Tarik to restrain the passenger until they landed. However, when the police arrived, initially they weren't sure if Tarik was the man's accomplice – until the crew pointed out what had happened.

Tarik has published an autobiography in French called Dans Le Droit Chemain or On the Right Path.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Jo Impey

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Tarik Sahibeddine in the plane cockpit. Credit: Sahibeddine)

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