An attempt to hijack a Turkish Airlines (THY) plane bound from southern Turkish province of Antalya to Russia's St Petersburg has been foiled by passengers on Wednesday, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.
State Airports Authority (DHMI) Director-General Orhan Birdal was quoted as saying that a passenger attempted to hijack the plane by claiming that he was carrying a bomb.
"He was overpowered. And the plane is continuing on route to St Petersburg," Birdal added.
The person who attempted to hijack the Turkish Airlines plane carrying 160 passengers has been identified as Yasa Rashidov of Uzbekistan, Anatolia reported later in the day.
Turkish Ministry of Transportation Deputy Undersecretary Suat Haydi Aka was quoted as saying that passengers were evacuated after the plane landed at the St. Petersburg Airport.
Rashidov, who attempted to hijack the Airbus 320 plane by claiming that he had a bomb strapped to his body, was detained and was excessively drunk, Aka said.
There was no Turkish passengers on board the plane, according to the report.
(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2008)
