A passenger plane of the Pegasus Airlines bound from Diyarbakir to Istanbul was hijacked and forced to land at Ankara's Esenboga Airport on Tuesday. Security officials said that the plane was hijacked by a person, who claimed to have explosives.
After being diverted to Ankara by the hijacker, the plane landed at Ankara's Esenboga Airport.
Tight security measures have been taken at the airport.
Security forces are trying to convince the hijacker to surrender.
There are 178 passengers including three babies on board the plane.
Source: Anatolian Times
Pegasus Airlines flies to 15 destinations in Turkey and has accelerated the expansion of international destinations in 2007. Pegasus, who flew from Antalya to eight destinations in Germany in the summer of 2006, included flights between Istanbul and Stuttgart in December 2006.
Reuters reports that the hijacker gave himself up to the authorities, an Ankara airport official said. "The hijacker was named as Mehmet Goksin Gol by the state-run Anatolian news agency. The official said police believed he acted from personal, not political motives, and may be mentally ill."
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Comments
#1 So Anyone Can Now Hijack A Plane?
Anyone can hold us hostage by just saying that he has explosives? And in fear, we should accept his threat and let him hijack a plane?
I am baffled!
Can't we frisk passengers before they board the plane? And save us from hypertension over a hoax?
One God, one faith.