A disruptive incident occurred on a domestic flight involving a Russian man named Andrei Sidyakin, a 39-year-old hockey player from the Russian Hockey League team Monetka in Yekaterinburg.
Sidyakin created chaos on the flight when he aggressively demanded alcohol from the flight attendants. When his requests were denied, the situation escalated dangerously.
According to a report on Telegram by the popular Russian newspaper Mash, Sidyakin displayed belligerent behavior during the flight, continuously pressuring the flight attendants for a drink. He received warnings from the airline staff, but he took it to a more alarming level by making a serious threat.
Sidyakin informed the flight attendants that he possessed an explosive device and even attempted to open the plane’s door. Consequently, the flight attendants had to conduct a search for any potential signs of a bomb or weapon for the remainder of the flight. Surprisingly, the flight was not diverted despite this incident.
Upon landing in Moscow, security officers from Sheremetyevo Airport and police officers boarded the plane to carry out additional searches. Although Sidyakin was not immediately detained, he was prohibited from continuing his journey to Ural and was advised to find an alternative mode of transportation.
It’s important to note that this incident is in stark contrast to a January flight from Russia to India, where a bomb threat led to the diversion and a significant delay of several hours. In that case, a chartered flight from Moscow to Goa, carrying 244 people, was rerouted to Jamnagar airport in India due to an email warning of a bomb threat received by air traffic control in Goa. This incident prompted an extensive search and a 15-hour delay before the flight could resume its journey.
