Emergency Russian flight landing.

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A Russian Aeroflot airliner made an unscheduled landing at Prague’s Ruzyne international airport today after an apparent hijacking attempt, Czech Republic police said. The Airbus A320 flying from Moscow to Geneva, landed in Prague shortly before 11am (10am Irish time), said airport spokeswoman Pavlina Hajkova.“From what we know now, the plane may have been hijacked,” police spokesman Pavel Hantak said. But he added that police did not have to intervene as the hijacker was “already pacified on board the plane”.

Deputy Director of Aeroflot, Lev Koshlyakov, told Rossiya television: “One of the passengers said he had an explosive device.” No explosives were found, all 168 passengers were unharmed and Czech authorities deny any links to terrorism. The perpetrator, identified as Yevgeny Dagayev, was reportedly drunk and was restrained by other passengers. Aeroflot said the suspected hijacker, who was accompanied by eight family members, was subdued by stewards and passengers and handed over to Czech police upon landing.

Shortly after 10 pm on Thursday, the Aeroflot plane headed off for its original destination. Of the 170 passengers, only Yevgenyi Dagajev and his eight family members have been detained in Prague for further police questioning. Since the incident took place onboard a Russian plane, it legally occurred on Russian territory. The foreign ministry, state prosecution, and Russian Embassy are therefore debating whether Mr Dagajev will stay in the Czech Republic. He could face a longer prison term if tried in a Russian court.

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