REVIEW: Drunk Man Arrested After Attempt To Hijack Russian Airliner In Siberia

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2019) A drunk passenger was arrested in Russia on Tuesday for attempting to hijack an Aeroflot airliner flying to Moscow from a western Siberian city of Surgut.

The man tried to break into the cockpit in mid-flight, claiming he was armed, and demanded to change the course, the Russian Investigative Committee said.

Aeroflot, the Russian flag-carrier, confirmed the attempted hijack in a statement, after initially refusing to comment on why Flight SU1515 had diverted from its course.

Sources told Sputnik that the crew had managed to talk the intoxicated man into making an emergency landing in the city of Khanty-Mansiysk, some 180 miles west of Surgut, to refuel.

Security officers soon entered the plane and restrained the the drunk man, whose threat to use weapons turn out to be a bluff. Other passengers disembarked safely and were able to continue on a backup plane.

A criminal investigation has been opened into the incident. The Russian Investigative Committee identified the suspect as a Surgut resident with a prior conviction for "damage to property."

Aeroflot said in a statement that its security and technical services had been put on high alert, which included extra aircraft checks before takeoff. The airline stressed its employees were trained to deal with such incidents due to a growing threat of terrorism.