Six suspects in detention after Cuban airliner hijacking

A CUBAN plane carrying 35 passengers and crew was hijacked on Wednesday night and forced to fly to Florida, where it landed in Key West under escort of US military jets, US and Cuban authorities said.

The FBI took six suspected hijackers into custody on the tarmac at Key West International Airport after the plane, flown by Cuban state airline Aerotaxi, landed safely. No injuries were reported and passengers were being held for questioning.

The plane was first spotted by Miami air traffic controllers as it headed from the communist-ruled Caribbean island across the 90 miles that separate Cuba from Key West.