An airplane bound for Turkey was forced to make an emergency landing after a hijack attempt today as a would-be hijacker tried to divert the aircraft to Sochi, Russia–the location of the Winter Olympics.
The Pegasus plane, which was carrying 110 passengers, sent a signal to Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport, at which point F-16 fighter jets were immediately scrambled to meet the aircraft.
Reports suggest a passenger yelled, “Bomb!” and that air crews attempted to dissuade the would-be hijacker from his or her mission to redirect the plane to Sochi in Russia, where the Winter Olympics just kicked off.
Air traffic is now said to have resumed at Sabiha Gökçen Airport after a brief interruption while security forces took extraordinary measures to ensure safety.
A Transportation Ministry official in Turkey said the person who wanted to hijack plane from Ukraine to Turkey tried to enter to cockpit but was unable.