Hijacked Cuban plane lands in Florida

A Cuban Airlines airliner, hijacked by a man claiming to have two grenades, landed safely at Key West International Airport in Florida tonight.

The Soviet-made AN-24 biplane landed about 50 minutes after it took off from Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport.

Some passengers had safely left the aircraft in Havana, but Federal Aviation Authority spokesman Christopher White said 25 passengers and six crew members remained on board after it landed.

The hijacking drama had started late yesterday when a man claiming to be armed with grenades demanded to be flown to Florida.

The Cuban Airlines plane was on an internal flight and was forced to land in the capital because it lacked sufficient fuel to make it to the US, officials said.