Drunk man tries to hijack Russia bound flight

Airbus a320 Aeroflot, airport Pulkovo, Russia Saint-Petersburg May 2017

A man has been arrested for attempting to hijack a Moscow-bound Aeroflot flight.

Which would have been much scarier for fellow passengers if the man wasn’t blind drunk.

The flight had only just taken off from Surgut, Siberia when a 41-year-old man tried to break into the cockpit, demanding pilots reroute the plane to Afghanistan.

Investigators said the man claimed to have a weapon and “attempted to break into the cockpit and demanded that the flight destination be changed” according to the Guardian.

The pilots calmed the man by convincing him they would have to refuel first and rerouted the plane to Khanty-Mansiysk where police boarded the plane and detained the man.

A video published by Russian state media showed passengers yelling at the man as police boarded the plane.

“We’re late because of you,” said one man, “You dumbass.”

The would-be hijacker faces up to 12 years in prison for his attempt.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

aeroflot hijack

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