Wellington - Somali immigrant Asha Ali Abdille was sent for trial Tuesday charged with New Zealand's first aircraft hijacking after a two-day preliminary hearing in the Christchurch High Court.

Abdille, 34, was alleged to have entered the cockpit of a 19-seat Air New Zealand flight from Blenheim to Christchurch in February and attacked the two pilots with a knife, saying she had a bomb and wanted to be flown to Australia.

She could be sent to prison for life on the hijacking charge and also faces five other charges, including stabbing one of the seven passengers on the plane, who told the court she had tried to calm Abdille.

Abdille was remanded in custody and a date for her trial will be set in February. (dpa)