A Ukrainian passenger on an Istanbul-bound flight has been detained after claiming there was a bomb on board and demanding the plane to travel to Sochi, the site of the Winter Olympics.
Turkey scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to accompany the plane before it made an emergency landing at Sabiha Gokcen airport in Istanbul. The pilot sent a hijack signal after departing from Kharkov in Ukraine. Turkey’s state-run TRT television said authorities convinced the man to give himself up before taking him into police custody.
The Interfax news agency cited the Ukrainian Security Service, as saying the passenger was in a state of severe alcohol intoxication. It also said there were no weapons or explosives found on him or on board the plane.
