Knife-wielding hijacker demanded to be flown to Australia (+photos,video)

The woman who stabbed two pilots on an Eagle Air flight is escorted by armed police. Photo / Reuters

A 33-year-old Blenheim woman who allegedly stabbed two pilots in mid-air has been charged with hijacking and three counts of assault.

She allegedly also injured a passenger, threatened others and demanded to be flown to Australia.

She was arrested by armed police dog handlers at Christchurch Airport after allegedly stabbing the pilots of an Eagle Air flight.

The woman was seated directly behind the door to the cockpit before entering it 10 minutes into the flight, armed with a knife.

Police say the woman demanded that the pilots take the plane - which was only flying the short trip from Blenheim to Christchurch - over to Australia.

A passenger who tried to restrain the woman also sustained knife injuries.

The Somalian woman allegedly threatened other passengers and continued to wave the knife throughout the flight.

She was grappling with the aeroplane's controls throughout the flight, police said in a press conference late this afternoon.

It was only when the pilot bought the plane into land that rough conditions caused the woman to lose her footing.

At this point, police say the co-pilot then wrestled the woman to the ground.

Members of the armed offenders squad with dogs then stormed the plane.

A taxi driver says the woman involved in the mid-air stabbing of two pilots seemed "vague" early today when he took her to Blenheim airport.

The taxi driver, who identified himself as Colin, told Newstalk ZB: "She was a wee bit vague.

He described her as "away with the fairies".

"She couldn't work out where she wanted to go for while which I thought was quite strange at that time of the morning.

"She was very nervous, very unsure of where she wanted to go and what she wanted to do.

"It was a very strange ride actually - not the normal ride you get in Blenheim, put it that way."

The two pilots have been praised for their courage after they were attacked and stabbed inflight by this morning.