Corriere della Sera has it slightly different from BBC in that it reports the aircraft as being an MD80, as opposed to a B737 as per BBC, and that the hijacker was not armed. Corriere also mentions that he's an ex-cop and he previously tried to hijack an Air France flight and a high speed train in Italy - so how he got on this plane defeats me.
A modicum of passenger profilling might come in useful..?
amofw