Plane flying from Surgut to Moscow lands in Khanty-Mansyisk after hijacking attempt

MOSCOW. KAZINFORM A passenger plane bound from Surgut to Moscow (flight SU1515) made an emergency landeding in Khanty-Mansyisk after a hijacking attempt. The hijacker is still aboard the plane, a spokesman for Russia's National Anti-terrorist Committee (NAC) told TASS on Tuesday, TASS reports.

A source in the local law enforcement agencies told TASS that according to preliminary information the man was drunk during the incident. No one was hurt.

An Aeroflot Boeing 737-8LJ took off from Surgut for Moscow at 12:55 Moscow time. Fifteen minutes after the takeoff, it changed its course.

According to the NAC spokesman, it was done at the demand from one of the passengers. The pilot took a decision to land in Khanty-Mansyisk, where it landed at 14:18 Moscow time.

Meanwhile, NAC Spokesman Andrei Przhezdomsky told the Rossiya-24 television channel that the plane's pilot took the only right decision to land in Khanty-Mansysik after a passenger demanded he change the plane's course.

"According to reports, a plane flying from Surgut to Moscow changed its course at the demand of one of the passengers. The pilot made the only right decision to land at the nearest airport, in Khanty-Mansyisk. The man who hijacked the plane is still inside. We hope no effort will be spared to prevent any negative consequences," he said.