A passenger on a domestic flight in Mexico attempted to divert the plane into the United States before he was stopped by the crew, the airline said on social media , CBS News reports.

Law enforcement said that the man claimed to have been under threat by criminals who had kidnapped one of his relatives.

Volaris airline said in a statement that the incident took place on flight 3041 from El Bajio in Guanajuato state near the border city of Tijuana on Sunday.

The crew on board the flight managed to detain the passenger before the plane was diverted to Guadalajara in central Mexico.

Once the plane arrived in Guadalajara, the passenger was handed over to authorities.

The rest of the passengers and crew later continued to their destination in Tijuana on the border with the US.

"Volaris regrets the inconvenience that this situation caused," the airline said in the statement on X. "For Volaris, the safety of our passengers and crews is the highest priority.”