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Drunken man forces plane to land 'Hijack' drama on Russian plane
(about 2 hours later)
A Russian passenger plane has made an emergency landing at Prague airport after a drunken passenger started a fight and demanded a change of route. A Russian passenger plane has made an emergency landing in Prague after a drunken man reportedly tried to enter the cockpit, saying he had explosives.
Czech police described the incident as an attempted hijacking, but a spokesman for the airline, Aeroflot, said it seemed to be a case of "hooliganism". A spokesman for the airline, Aeroflot, said the Russian citizen wanted the Moscow-Geneva flight diverted to Cairo.
Aeroflot said the passenger started a fight and claimed to have an explosive device before being overpowered. Czech police described the incident as an attempted hijacking, but Aeroflot said it was a case of "hooliganism".
It said all passengers on the Moscow to Geneva flight were in good health. The drunken man has been detained, and all the 168 passengers on the Airbus A-320 are said to be well.
The Airbus A-320 taxied to an outer area of the airport after landing, where it was surrounded by emergency vehicles. The plane taxied to an isolated area of Prague's Ruzyne airport after landing, where it was surrounded by emergency vehicles.
Police have been carrying out checks on the plane itself, and on the luggage.
Man tied-upMan tied-up
"Today, on flight 271 Moscow-Geneva, one of the passengers on the flight declared that he had an explosive device," said Aeroflot deputy chief executive Lev Koshlyakov."Today, on flight 271 Moscow-Geneva, one of the passengers on the flight declared that he had an explosive device," said Aeroflot deputy chief executive Lev Koshlyakov.
"The crew, in accordance with the current rules, asked to make an emergency landing in Prague and landed at Prague airport. Local law enforcement apprehended the passenger."The crew, in accordance with the current rules, asked to make an emergency landing in Prague and landed at Prague airport. Local law enforcement apprehended the passenger.
"The preliminary version is that this was a case of hooliganism.""The preliminary version is that this was a case of hooliganism."
He added that the troublemaker was Russian, and that the plane was now preparing to continue its flight to Geneva.
Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted another Aeroflot spokesman as saying that a drunken passenger provoked a brawl, threatened to damage the plane and demanded that it change course.Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted another Aeroflot spokesman as saying that a drunken passenger provoked a brawl, threatened to damage the plane and demanded that it change course.
It said the man had been tied up on board.It said the man had been tied up on board.
'Not terrorism''Not terrorism'
Czech police said there had been an attempted hijacking and that a man had been taken into custody. Russia's Channel One television and Czech police spokesman Pavel Hantak both said the man had apparently tried to break into the cockpit.
But Jan Subert, a spokesman for the Czech counterintelligence service, the BIS, said that terrorism apparently was not involved.But Jan Subert, a spokesman for the Czech counterintelligence service, the BIS, said that terrorism apparently was not involved.
"From what we know, the incident had nothing to do with terrorism," he said."From what we know, the incident had nothing to do with terrorism," he said.
Czech Defence Ministry spokesman Andrej Cirtek said two Gripen fighters were in the air ready to intervene, but proved unnecessary.