The hijacker, Xu Wenzhong, was also deprived of his political rights for five years.

Xu, 32, who was laid off from a radio components plant in the province's Chaoyang city, boarded a China Northern Airlines aircraft on April 17.

Ten minutes after the plane took off from Dalian, en route to Yanji in neighboring Jilin Province via Shenyang, Xu abruptly rose from his seat, grabbed a stewardess and held a knife to her chest, officials said. He shouted: "I am hijacking the plane."

Two to three minutes later, the stewardess broke loose from Xu, who was then knocked to the floor by a nearby passenger. He was subdued by passengers and security guards.

The plane landed safely at Taoxian International Airport in Shenyang the same day.

The Intermediate People's Court of Shenyang ruled that Xu disregarded national law and attempted to hold the stewardess hostage and hijack the passenger plane with a knife. His act threatened air transportation safety and constituted a crime of aircraft hijacking, the court said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2002)