A plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Rostov-on-Donafter, Russia a passenger announced he had a gun on board.
The man boarded the flight without suspicion at Moscow Sheremetyevo international airport for the Aeroflot flight yesterday.
But he then informed a flight attendant he was armed before the pilot immediately requested an emergency landing.
The plane landed in Rostov-on-Don, southern Russia, where armed police swarmed the plane and detained the passenger.
The unnamed man told the flight crew he had “forgotten” to remove his traumatic weapon from his hand luggage before the flight, and was able to pass through security.
Police said later he had a license for the gun but should not have brought it onto the plane.
Police said the weapon was confiscated by Rostov police but the man whose bags were searched was permitted to fly on with other passengers to Burgas in Bulgaria after a two hour delay during which the plane and luggage was fully searched.
A security review has been launched at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport which is also used by British Airways.