Bomb Threat Grounds Plane In Turkey As Sochi Games Begin

05:35

February 07, 2014

Performers light up as the Russian flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics at the Fisht Olympic Stadium on February 7, 2014 in Sochi. (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images)

A Turkish official says a passenger claiming there was a bomb on board tried to hijack an Istanbul-bound plane to Sochi, Russia, where the Winter Olympics are kicking off.

According to NTV television, an F-16 fighter plane was scrambled as soon as the pilot signaled there was a hijacking attempt and escorted the plane to Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport.

Turkey's state-run TRT television said authorities convinced the man to give himself up and he was taken into police custody, but there was no confirmation from the Transport Ministry.

Tim Arango of The New York Times joins Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson from Istanbul with the latest.

Meantime, the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics kicked off today with a highly anticipated opening ceremony. Spectators from all over the world will tune into the event, which marks the costliest Olympic Games in history. We get an update from NPR's Sam Sanders.

The Associated Press contributed reporting to this article.

Related: Will Sochi Olympics Architecture Win Gold?

Fireworks explode over the Fisht Olympic Stadium at the beginning of the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 7, 2014 in Sochi. (Alexander Nenenov/AFP/Getty Images)

Guest

Tim Arango, reporter for The New York Times. He tweets @tarangoNYT.
Sam Sanders, associate producer for NPR. He tweets @samsanders.

This segment aired on February 7, 2014.