A Canadian man has been charged with hijacking a small plane after he caused a security scare at Vancouver's airport this week.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Thursday Shaheer Cassim, 39, has been charged with hijacking, constituting terrorism, over the incident Tuesday that saw the North American Aerospace Defense Command scramble F-15 fighter jets before the plane safely landed.

The RCMP said he seized control of a Cessna 172 at Victoria International Airport on Vancouver Island by threatening a flight instructor, before flying about 40 miles to Vancouver.

In a recording of air traffic control posted to liveatc.net, an official can be heard stating: "We have an incident right above our airspace here — a hijacked 172," the Vancouver Sun reported .

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