LANDSHUT, Germany - A Turkish man was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after being found guilty on Thursday to threatening to blow up a passenger jet in midair over Germany.
Burhan Bayrambey, 28, made the threat 10 minutes after the flight took off from Munich heading for Istanbul in June last year.
He demanded the plan change course and land in the northern German city of Hamburg where his estranged wife lived.
The court heard he was upset about the break-up of his marriage and hoped that by hijacking the plane he could persuade his estranged wife to see him again.
He brandished his mobile phone and shouted "Don't panic, I've got a bomb in my hand", but after he was overpowered following an emergency landing in Munich, no weapons or explosives were found on board the plane belonging to Turkish carrier Free Bird.
All 150 passengers and seven crew left the plane safely after Bayrambey jumped out of an exit door, injuring himself in the process.
Bayrambey was convicted of hostage-taking and causing a risk to air traffic.
His defence lawyer said he was "confused and disorientated" at the time of the incident.
03/17/2005 18:53 GMT