Alaska Airlines hijack hoax targets passenger who slept most of the flight

An Alaska Airlines flight had to be escorted into Seattle's main airport by two F-15 fighter jets on Thursday after an anonymous caller told the FBI that a male passenger could be a hijacker.

According to AFP, the Boeing 737 was escorted until it landed without incident in Seattle, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which monitors US and Canadian airspace, said in a statement.

FBI spokesman Tom Simon told AFP that his office had been informed by an anonymous caller that there could be a hijacker aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 819, which departed from Hawaii's Kona, and identified the man on the flight.

Simon said flight crew were alerted and the plane landed 'without any drama at all'.

FBI officials and local law enforcement removed the unnamed man from the plane for questioning.

But NYDailyNews.com reports that the man was not a threat and slept through most of the flight.

An Alaska Airlines spokesperson said he showed no strange or threatening behaviour.

Officers are now looking for the hoax caller.

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