Was this really a 'terror attack'? Or a move to steal the global spotlight from Russia?It's early in the news cycle.... but this can certainly get a lot of play- All week end longAnd avert the eyes of the world from Sochi.Let's see how this plays out?And by the way Russia is putting on one heck of an opening show. Gorgeous.scene from the showThe alleged hijack attempt?Hijack attempt forces plane to land in İstanbul
The pilot of a commercial airliner sent a signal to İstanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport, informing airport officials of an attempt to hijack the plane, full of passengers, before it landed at the airport.Air traffic resumed at Sabiha Gökçen Airport after a brief interruption while security forces took extraordinary measures to ensure safety.Officials say the flight crew worked hard to convince the hijacker to abort their attempt.Later, as the dramatic and tense hours came to a close, the would-be hijacker was neutralized by security forces, Samanyolu Haber news channel reported.The evacuation of passengers will soon start, officials told the news channel. Officials said an Ukrainian national tried to hijack the plane, claiming that he had explosives on him. He tried to enter cockpit but pilots denied his entry.The hijacker asked pilots to fly to Sochi, where winter olympic games are being held. After convincing the hijacker that the plane's new destination is Sochi, pilots successfully landed the plane in İstanbul and informed airport officials about the incident.Turkish special forces launched an operation to the plane through the cockpit gate and neutralized the hijacker.The hijacker was detained and is being currently interrogated by airport police.
Passenger with bomb claim tried to divert plane to Sochi as Olympics begin
A Ukrainian passenger on an Istanbul-bound flight Friday claimed there was a bomb on board and tried to hijack the plane to Sochi, Russia, where the Olympics are kicking off, an official said. The plane from Kharkiv, Ukraine, landed safely at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport, but 110 passengers are still on board and authorities are trying to convince the alleged hijacker to give himself up, Habib Soluk, the country's Transport Ministry undersecretary, told NTV television. The station reported the man had been subdued, but there was no immediate confirmation of that. The Interfax news agency cited the Ukrainian Security Service, the country's main security agency, as saying the passenger who tried to hijack the plane was in a state of severe alcohol intoxication. It also said he has been pacified, and no weapons or explosives were found on him, but it was not clear where the information was coming from. Soluk said the man rose from his seat, shouted that there was bomb on board and tried to enter the locked cockpit. The pilot signalled that there was a hijack attempt and the airport was placed on high alert.
"The man was made to believe the plane was heading to Sochi," he said. "We are hoping that the passengers are evacuated without even a nose-bleed."
Pegasus Airlines confirmed in a brief statement there was a "bomb threat" aboard their flight from Kharkiv. The plane's captain, Ilyas Karagulle, signalled that the crew was well, according to state-run TRT television.
Sounds like the guy may have been intoxicated-
The passenger is thought to have drunk alcohol and tried, unsuccessfully, to gain access to the cockpit before the Boeing 737-800 was froced to land in Istanbul at 6.02pm local time.The Dogan news agency reports that after landing, the plane was towed away to a safe distance where is has been sealed off with passengers still on board.Russia Today reports security agents are now searching for the suspected bomb which may be on the plane.An official at Istanbul airport said: "People are still inside but the pilot called security and gave them a signal that they can enter the plane. There is a translator - a Turkish man near the Ukrainian to calm him down."Ukraine's ministry of foreign affairs told Russian language wire service Interfax: "A scheduled flight from Kharkiv to Istanbul today completed an emergency landing at Istanbul airport due to an incident which took place on board."According to early information from the Turkish authorities a Ukrainian citizen was attempting to force the crew to direct the plane to Sochi."