Man charged over hijack attempt

Enlarge Image

Czech authorities have charged a Russian man with endangering an aircraft after he allegedly tried to hijack an Aeroflot flight on Thursday.

The plane made an emergency landing in the Czech capital, Prague, after a man tried to enter the cockpit claiming he had a bomb, police said.

The Airbus A320 had been flying from Moscow to Geneva in Switzerland.

The man - who witnesses said appeared to be drunk - was overpowered by passengers and crew.

Aeroflot identified the passenger as Yevgeny Dagayev, from Russia, thought to be 32 years old, but Czech authorities would not confirm his name.

"He could face a jail sentence of from eight to 15 years," police spokesman Ladislav Bernasek told the AFP news agency.

It was planned to try the suspect in the Czech Republic, rather than to extradite him to Russia, another spokesman said.

The airline said the incident appeared to be "hooliganism", rather than to have any terrorist motive.

Two Czech fighter jets had been put on alert during the incident, the defence ministry said.

The plane, with more than 170 passengers and crew aboard, was checked at Prague airport, but no explosives were found.

It resumed its journey to Geneva after 11 hours in Prague.