Passenger attempts to hijack plane and divert it to Sochi

A major security operation was sparked after a passenger on board a plane en route to Istanbul, tried to hijack it and demanded that it be diverted to the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Laden with 110 passengers, the flight had taken off from Kharkov, Ukraine before subsequently landing safely at Sabiha Gokcen airport, one of Istanbul's international airports.

A spokesperson for Turkey's transport ministry said the would-be hijacker rose from his seat, shouted that there was a bomb on board and tried to enter the locked cockpit.

The pilot of the Pegasus Airlines then signaled that there was a hijack attempt and the airport was placed on high alert. A Turkish F-16 fighter plane was then scrambled.

It is still unclear what happened next, with some reports saying Turkish special forces boarded the plane and apprehended the hijacker, while another report said attempts were being made to get him to give himself up.

The Ukraine security service said the man was in a severe state of drunkenness and pacified, and that no weapons or explosives were found on him.