Zeenews Bureau
Islamabad: Police on Friday detained a passenger who threatened to hijack an aircraft on a domestic flight, a media report said.
After the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK 588 took-off from Karachi, the passenger told a cabin crew that he could hijack the plane.
The captain promptly decided to turn around the aircraft that was flying from Karachi to Bahawalpur in Punjab province, reported Geo News.
Airport Security Force personnel entered the plane at the Jinnah International Airport and apprehended the passenger who had made the threat.
Following his arrest, the passenger claimed he had made the alleged threat after a quarrel with the air hostess and that he had no intention of hijacking the aircraft.
The aircraft was searched by security forces after being evacuated.
Authorities said all airports are secure and the incident took place due to the non-serious attitude of one person, who is a resident of Karachi.
The number of passengers on the flight could not immediately be ascertained.
Pakistan's aviation industry has been hit by a string of problems in recent years.
A total of 127 people were killed when a Boeing 737 of the private Bhoja Air crashed near Islamabad on April 20.
This was the second major air disaster in the vicinity of the Pakistani capital since July 28, 2010, when an Air Blue airliner slammed into the Margalla Hills in cloudy weather, killing all 152 people on board.
State-run PIA, which is the country's largest airline, is grappling with a funds crunch and an ageing fleet.
(With Agencies’ inputs)
First Published: Friday, April 27, 2012, 15:31