Female Eritrean pilot seeks asylum in Saudi Arabia

A female Eritrean Air Force pilot asked for asylum after she reached the King Abdullah Regional Airport in Jazan.
The woman, who holds the rank of captain, told Jazan authorities that she did not want to return to her country and did not want to complete her mission to return an Eritrean military aircraft that was hijacked by its pilot. The aircraft has been at the airport since Oct. 2.
The female pilot arrived in Jazan two weeks ago to retrieve the military plane, but she decided not to go back to her country. She said she is seeking asylum in the country where her father lives. She has been received in the hospitality headquarters of the Jazan Traffic Authority.
Jazan Emir spokesman Ali Za’le confirmed the incident.
“The woman is of Eritrean nationality, and has the rank of captain-pilot in the Eritrean Air Force,” Za’le said. “She came to the Kingdom two weeks ago to retrieve the military plane, which has been stranded in King Abdullah Regional Airport for a while now. The plane was flown to Saudi territory by an Eritrean national.”
He added: “When she reached Jazan she expressed her wish to stay and asked the authorities to ease her transport to the country where her father lives. Her request is still being considered by the related authorities.”