Attempted Hijacking of Turkey-Bound Plane to Sochi

A passenger aboard a commercial airline flight from Ukraine to Turkey tried to hijack it to Sochi, Russia, on Friday after the Winter Olympics had started there but the plane landed safely in Istanbul, Turkish news reports said. The passenger, who was not identified, claimed to be armed with a bomb, the Turkish television stations NTV and CNNTurk quoted a Transport Ministry undersecretary, Habib Soluk, as saying. It was not immediately clear whether the passenger had been forcibly subdued or whether a bomb or other explosive was aboard. The aircraft was identified as a Pegasus Airlines flight from Kharkov, Ukraine. Television footage showed a Pegasus flight arriving in Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport. “While the plane was in the air, one of the passengers said that there was a bomb on board and asked the plane to not land in Sabiha Gokcen but rather to land in Sochi,” Mr. Soluk was quoted as saying. The Russian authorities have imposed intense security on the Winter Olympics because of the threat of terrorist attacks on the games, which began on Thursday and last through Feb. 23.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/08/world/europe/attempted-hijacking-of-turkey-bound-plane-reported.html


Turkey scrambled a jet fighter Friday to force down an airliner from Ukraine after a would-be hijacker on board brandishing a detonator ordered it to Sochi where the Winter Olympic opening ceremony was underway, Turkish officials said. A Turkish F-16 made the plane, from Turkey’s Pegasus airline and carrying 110 people, land in Istanbul. The hijacker was believed to be a Ukrainian man, according to Turkish media. Outlets reported that he was overpowered and security forces were on the plane. Habib Soluk, deputy Turkish transport ministry, said that the man was holding a detonator as he tried to get to the cockpit and claimed there was a bomb on board.“We are sure that he didn’t enter the cockpit. We know that the aircraft was hijacked before it entered Turkish airspace,” Mr Soluk said.

http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/world/story/hijack-attempt-ukraine-turkey-airliner-report-20140208