TERRORIST SKYJACKINGS JANUARY 1968 THROUGH JUNE 1982[SANITIZED] - 1982/07/01

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05164489
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 24
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: July 1, 1982

Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Terrorist Skyjackings
A statistical overview of terrorist
skyjackings from January 1968 through June 1982
July 1982
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Skyjacking: The seizure of an airplane,
with whatever hostages may be on board,
to force some action, whether it be move-
ment to another country or agreement by
the authorities involved to some other
demand.
Terrorist Skyjacking: The seizure of an
airplane through the use or threat of
violence for political purposes by individ-
uals or groups. Terrorists use skyjackings
to force authorities to agree to their de-
mands, most frequently for money or the
release of imprisoned terrorists, or to
publicize perceived grievances.
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Terrorist Skyjackings
According to our records, 684 skyjackings
have been attempted since January 1968,
approximately 9 percent of all terrorist
attacks since that date. These attempts
have resulted in at least 500 deaths and
400 injuries. More than one-third of the
hijackers demanded passage to Cuba.
Nearly 40 percent of the aircraft belonged
to US airlines, most notably Eastern, Na-
tional, and TWA.
Trends
The number of attempted skyjackings
reached a high in 1969-70, declined
slightly in 1971-72, decreased by half in
1973, and has remained fairly constant
since then. The declines resulted from in-
creased public support for measures to
counter the skyjacking threat; the 1970
multiple skyjacking by Palestinian terrorists
was the catalyst for the Hague and Mon-
treal conventions on aerial hijacking. In
January 1973, luggage inspection and the
full screening of boarding passengers were
instituted in the United States and at inter-
national airports in other countries, reduc-
ing the total number of attempted skyjack-
ings in 1973 to half that of the previous
year. The US Federal Aviation Administra-
tion reports that more than 20,000 fire-
arms have been detected since those
security measures were instituted.
Of the 684 skyjacking attempts since Jan-
uary 1968, we consider 108 to have been
terrorist (that is, politically motivated) sky-
jackings. More than one-third of these
resulted in casualties, numbering 212 dead
and 186 wounded. Terrorist skyjacking in-
cidents were initiated in 43 countries and
1
ended in 47 countries, most of them in
Latin America, Western Europe, and the
Middle East. Forty-seven terrorist groups,
of which almost half were Palestinian and
Latin American, claimed credit for the
skyjackings.
The number of terrorist skyjacking at-
tempts was highest in the early 1970s; it
declined by half in 1973, as did all skyjack-
ing attempts, because of increased airport
security. Between 1973 and 1980, terror-
ists averaged five skyjacking attempts per
year. A significant increase occurred in
1981. This was partly attributable to the
successful Pakistan Liberation Army sky-
jack in March, which probably encouraged
other attempts; increases in terrorist and
insurgent activities in Central America and
northern South America contributed to in-
creases in terrorist skyjackings there. Four
terrorist skyjackings have taken place thus
far in 1982, suggesting a probable de-
crease for the year from the 1981 total.
Skyjackings in 1982
There were 10 skyjackings through June of
1982, of which four were terrorist skyjack-
ings. Two occurred in Latin America, and
in both cases the terrorists were granted
asylum in Cuba. In the third case, the
terrorists were granted asylum in Syria; in
the fourth, they voluntarily surrendered to
British authorities. No one was killed in a
terrorist skyjacking in the first half of 1982;
five people were wounded. Guns were
used in all four attempts, and explosives
were used in all but one.
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Total Skyjackings and Terrorist Skyjackings
January 1968-June 1982
100
80
60
40
20
1968 69 70 71 72 73 74
I
I I
75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82
Jun
Total skyjackings
Terrorist skyjackings
Terrorist Groups
A total of 48 terrorist groups�or 416
individual terrorists�have claimed credit
for skyjackings since the beginning of
1968 (see appendix A). Of the 47 terrorist
groups responsible for skyjackings, six
were Palestinian and 14 were Latin Ameri-
can; the Palestinians accounted for 20
percent and the Latin Americans for 21
percent of all terrorist skyjackings. The
Palestinian groups were most active in the
early 1970s; they have not claimed re-
sponsibility for a skyjacking since 1977.
Their most frequent targets were Israeli
airlines.
2
The Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine (PFLP) has attempted more
skyjackings than any other group, and its
skyjackings have often had major political
consequences. Five PFLP skyjackings
were concurrent. In September 1970, 11
members of the PFLP attempted to hijack
five aircraft to the Jordanian desert, where
they hoped to bargain for the release of
Palestinians jailed throughout Europe.
Three aircraft were diverted to Dawson's
Field in Jordan, where they were destroyed
by explosives. The passengers were res-
cued by Jordanian troops; seven Arab
guerrillas were eventually released from
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
European jails in response to the skyjack-
ers' demands. The Jordanian troops
launched a full-scale military campaign to
drive the Palestinian guerrilla groups out of
Jordan. The incident resulted in the activa-
tion of Black September (BSO) , which
has since been the most active of Palestin-
ian terrorist groups. In 1976, the PFLP
hijacked an Air France aircraft to Entebbe,
Uganda, precipitating a successful Israeli
commando raid on the airport to rescue
the passengers; in 1977, German com-
mandos stormed a hijacked Lufthansa
plane in Mogadiscio, Somalia, after PFLP
members killed the pilot. Our records show
that the PFLP has not been involved in a
skyjacking attempt since 1976; it claimed
responsibility for 13 during 1968-76.
The Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) , an
Ethiopian separatist group, also claimed
responsibility for numerous skyjacking at-
tempts. The ELF was most active in 1969;
our records show only one attempted sky-
jacking since 1972. The group's targets
were primarily Ethiopian domestic flights.
The Latin American terrorist groups have
maintained a low level of skyjacking activi-
ty since January 1968, with a sharp in-
crease in 1981, when they claimed respon-
sibility for six skyjackings. The increase
was partly attributable to Bandera Roja's
multiple skyjacking on 7 December 1981,
the first multiple event since the Dawson's
Field incident in 1970. Eleven gunmen hi-
jacked three Venezuelan airliners on do-
mestic flights, ultimately diverting them to
Havana with intermediate stops in Colom-
bia, Honduras, Guatemala, and Panama.
Their demands, which included a ransom
of $10 million and release of seven Vene-
zuelan political prisoners, were not met.
They were taken into custody by Cuban
authorities. Latin American terrorists have
exclusively targeted Latin American air-
lines, especially those of Colombia and
Venezuela.
Other prominent groups that have at-
tempted skyjackings include Fatah
(through BSO) , the Japanese Red Army
(JRA) , and the People's Revolutionary
Army of Argentina. (See appendix A for a
complete list.)
3
Skyjackings Resulting in Injuries or
Deaths
� On 17 December 1973, prior to hijacking
a Lufthansa aircraft, Palestinian terrorists
threw grenades into a plane loading in
Rome for a flight to Beirut, killing or
injuring numerous passengers, including
14 Americans.
� On 21 November 1974, four members of
the Arab Nationalist Youth Organization
for the Liberation of Palestine diverted a
British Airways flight to Tunis, where they
killed a passenger in public view to speed
up negotiations for the release of feda-
yeen prisoners.
� On 21 May 1976, six members of the
Moro National Liberation Front hijacked
a plane to Zamboanga, where Philippine
troops engaged them in a gun battle that
left 10 passengers and three hijackers
dead and 22 passengers wounded.
We recorded 40 terrorist skyjackings be-
tween January 1968 and June 1982 that
resulted in death or personal injury:
1968
1
1969
4
1970
6
1971
3
1972
3
1973
1
1974
2
1975
2
1976
4
1977
5
1978
0
1979
1
1980
1
1981
4
1982
3
The number of these skyjackings has fluc-
tuated in no discernible patterns, with high
counts in 1970 and 1977, and a low count
in 1978. Three such incidents have oc-
curred in the first half of 1982, in contrast
to four in all of 1981.
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
A total of 164 passengers and crew and 29
terrorists (a combined total of 193) have
been injured as a result of skyjackings
since January 1968; five were US citizens.
Fifteen US citizens have died, 14 in the
1973 Rome incident. Over half of the sky-
jackings that resulted in casualties oc-
curred in Western Europe and the Middle
East. Twenty-five terrorist groups claimed
responsibility for these incidents, most of-
ten the PFLP, the ELF, and the JRA.
Locations of Skyjackings
Between January 1968 and June 1982,
planes originating in over 40 countries
were skyjacked, with Lebanon the most
frequent point of origin. Planes originating
in the United States, Israel, Ethiopia, India,
Colombia, and Venezuela were also fre-
quent targets. The skyjackers' most fre-
quent boarding point was also Lebanon.
Nearly 40 percent of all terrorist skyjackers
demanded passage to three countries:
Cuba, Libya, and Jordan. The actual diver-
sion point was most often Cuba, with
Lebanon, Libya, Jordan, and Egypt less
frequent destinations.
Two-thirds of all terrorist skyjackings since
January 1968 have occurred in Latin
America, the Middle East, and Western
Europe. Only 7 percent have occurred in
North America (see map) .
The Operation
In over half of the attempted skyjackings
since January 1968 the terrorists used an
explosive device�or the threat of one�to
take over the aircraft. Terrorists used guns
in at least 33 skyjackings.
Our records of the negotiation process,
including terrorist demands and govern-
ment responses, while incomplete, indicate
distinct trends. The skyjackers' most fre-
quent demands have been for the release
of political prisoners and safe passage to
4
another country. Government responses to
skyjacker demands have been about
equally divided among compromise, capit-
ulation, and no response.
Incomplete records show that the coun-
tries to which skyjackers most often direct
their demands are Israel, Venezuela, and
Lebanon. These countries are not, howev-
er, those whose airliners are hijacked most
frequently: US aircraft have been sky-
jacked most often. British, West German,
and Israeli airliners have been frequent
targets. Skyjackers were granted asylum
most frequently by Cuba, Algeria, and
Libya. Other countries granting safe haven
included Dubai, Iraq, Lebanon, North Ko-
rea, South Yemen, Syria, Tunisia, and
Uganda.
Outcome
Terrorists achieved logistic success, or
were able to divert the aircraft to desired
destinations, in 70 percent of their at-
tempted skyjackings between January
1968 and June 1982. The pattern of suc-
cessful skyjackings across time suggests
that success breeds other attempts and,
conversely, failure discourages such
action.
On 2 March 1981, three members of the
Pakistan Liberation Army seized a Paki-
stani plane and diverted it to Afghanistan.
Soviet authorities in Kabul made no effort
to terminate the hijacking, and after unsuc-
cessful negotiations with Pakistani officials,
the terrorists ordered the plane flown to
Syria. Further negotiations resulted in the
release of 54 Pakistani prisoners in ex-
change for the release of the hostages on
2 March (figure 4) . The terrorists, who
were eventually freed by Syrian authorities,
received extensive media coverage. The
PLA's success probably encouraged sub-
sequent attempts�including the hijacking
of an Indonesian plane to Thailand on
28 March by five members of a fanatic
Muslim group, four of whom were killed
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 005164489
Terrorist Skyjackings by Region, January 1968-June 1982*
Arctic Ocean
North Pacific
Ocean
7
North f,rharic'V
8
(7.4%)
z
/r
North Atlantic
Ocean
South Pacific
Ocean
0�0�.
� o:A).
Arctic Ocean
USSII/
Eas,lo.rh Europe
2
(1.8%)
/Pacific
0 13
(12%)
North Pacific
Occan
Indian Ocean
South Atlantic
Ocean
*Figures indicate the number of incidents per region and percent of total
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Terrorist Skyjackers' Logistic Successa
January 1968�June 1982
12
9
6
3
Implementation of
Security Measures
0 I
1968 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82
Jun
aLogistic success notes whether the skyjacker was able to
divert the plane to a destination selected by him.
6
when Indonesian commandos stormed the
plane, and the Dev Sol hijack of a Turkish
plane to Bulgaria on 24 May, which was
concluded in midoperation when the pas-
sengers overpowered two of the terrorists.
Probably as a result of these well-publi-
cized failures, fewer skyjack attempts were
made during the remainder of 1981. There
was, however, a spate of attempts to
hijack planes in Eastern Europe to seek
asylum in the West.
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
2 March 1981. Release of passengers held in Pakistan Liberation
Army hijack of a Pakistani airliner, after 13 days of negotiations.
7
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Appendix A
Terrorist Groups Responsible
for Skyjackings
This list includes names of organizations responsible either by claim or attribution for
specific skyjackings noted in the statistics. Some attacks may have been carried out
without the approval or even foreknowledge of that organization's leaders. Claims of
responsibility may also have been falsely made by opponents of the organization in an at-
tempt to discredit it.
Some of the names listed are cover names for organizations wishing to deny responsibil-
ity for a particular action. Some names may have been used by common criminals to mis-
lead police investigators or by psychotics seeking public recognition.
Abd al-Nasir Movement (Egypt)
Al Sadre Brigade (Lebanon)
Ananda Marg (India)
Arab Nationalist Youth Organization for
the Liberation of Palestine (ANYOLP)
Armed Communist League (Mexico)
Armed Revolutionary Vanguard of Pal-
mares (VAR-Palmares; Brazil)
Bandera Roja (Venezuela)
Black September Organization
(Fatah / Palestinian)
Croatian National Liberation Forces
Dal Khasa (India)
Darul Islam Holy War Command
(Indonesia)
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Pal-
estine (DFLP)
Dev Sol (Turkey)
Dominican Republic Leftist Revolutionaries
Dutch Revolutionaries
Eagles of National Unity (South Yemen)
Eritrean Liberation Front (Ethiopia)
Freedom for the Serbian Fatherland
(SEPO)
Honduran Revolutionary Union (URP)
International Organ of the Proletariat
(Venezuela)
Japanese Red Army
Jordanian Free Officers Movement
Kabataang Makabayan (Philippines)
Kashmiri Liberation Front (India)
Komando Jihad (Indonesia)
Kurdish Sympathizers
9
Leftist Command of Chile
Lorenzo Zelaya Popular Revolutionary
Forces (Honduras)
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF;
Philippines)
National Liberation Alliance (ALN; Brazil)
National Liberation Army (ELN;
Colombia)
National Liberation Party (Lebanon)
Nepalese Communist Party
Organization for the Struggle Against
World Imperialism
Pakistan Liberation Army (PLA)
Palestine Popular Struggle Front
People's Liberation Army (EPL;
Colombia)
People's Revolutionary Army (ERP-ARG;
Argentina)
People's Revolutionary Army Zero Point
(Punto Cero, Argentina)
Popular Front for the Liberation of Pales-
tine (PFLP)
PFLP-General Command
Popular Liberation Movement (MPL;
Djibouti)
Provisional Irish Republican Army
(Provos)
Revolutionary Youth Movement
(Tanzania)
Revolutionary Movement of the Left
(Chile)
Turkish People's Liberation Army (TPLA)
19th of April Movement (M-19; Colombia)
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Appendix B
Major Airlines Whose Planes Have Been
Skyjacked by Terrorists
This list includes the names of major airlines that have been victims of terrorist skyjacking
attempts since January 1968. Derived from media coverage of these attempts, the list
may not cover airlines that have not reported terrorist attempts.
Aerolineas Argentinas
Aeropesca (Colombia)
Lineas Aeropostal Venezolana
(Venezuela)
Air Djibouti
Air France
Air Kuwait
Air Tanzania Corporation
Air Vietnam
Alyemda (South Yemen)
Alia Royal Jordanian Airlines
Alitalia (Italy)
American Airlines
Austral Lineas Areas (Argentina)
AVENSA (Venezuela)
Avianca (Colombia)
British Airways
Cruzeiro do Sul (Brazil)
Delta Airlines (United States)
Dundalk Aero Club (Ireland)
Ecuatoriana International (Ecuador)
Egyptian Airlines
El Al Airlines (Israel)
Ethiopian Airlines
Garuda Indonesian Airlines
Global International Airlines (United
States)
Indian Airlines
Iran National Airlines
Iraqi Airways
11
JAL (Japan)
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (the
Netherlands)
LACSA (Costa Rica)
LADECO (Chile)
LAN (Chile)
LANICA (Nicaragua)
Libyan Arab Airlines
Lufthansa (Germany)
Malay Air System (Malaysia)
Middle Eastern Airlines (Egypt)
Mexicana de Aviacion (Mexico)
Netherlands Antilles Airlines
Olympic Airways (Greece)
Pakistan International Airlines
PAL (Philippines)
Pan Am (United States)
Royal Nepalese Airlines
Sabena (Belgium)
SAHSA (Honduras)
SAM (Colombia)
SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System)
Swissair
TAME (Ecuador)
TAP (Portugal)
Turkish Airways
TWA (United States)
VASP (Brazil)
VIASA (Venezuela)
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Appendix C
A Chronology Of Significant
Terrorist Skyjackings 1968-82
The country over which the skyjack occurred is in bold type before each incident.
1968 22 July
Italy. An El Al 707 in flight from Rome to Tel Aviv was
hijacked by three members of the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) . They ordered the plane
with its 10 crewmembers and 38 passengers to Dar Al-
Bayda Airport, Algeria, and demanded the release of an
unspecified number of Arabs from Israeli jails. The Algeri-
ans detained the hijackers and immediately released 23
non-Israeli passengers. Israel eventually released 16 Arabs
in exchange for the hostages, who were set free on
1 September.
1969 29 August
Italy. TWA Flight 840 from Rome to Tel Aviv was hijacked
by two members of the PFLP. Upon landing in Damascus,
Syria, they ordered all passengers off the plane and blew
up the cockpit. Several passengers were injured while
evacuating the aircraft, none seriously. The Syrians re-
leased all passengers except six Israelis, who were held for
the release of prisoners in Israeli jails. On 5 December, the
International Red Cross arranged for return of the hos-
tages to Israel in exchange for 13 Syrian and 58 Egyptian
prisoners.
1970 31 March
Japan. A Japan Air Lines 727 from Tokyo to Kukuoka
was hijacked shortly after takeoff by nine members of the
Japanese Red Army (JRA) , who demanded to be flown
to P'yongyang, North Korea. An elaborate ruse to make
Seoul's airport look like P'yongyang failed, but the hijack-
ers were persuaded to let the passengers disembark in
exchange for passage to North Korea. They flew to
P'yongyang on 3 April and were granted asylum.
22 July
Lebanon. An Olympic Airways 727 carrying 47 passen-
gers from Beirut to Athens was hijacked by five members
of the Palestine Popular Struggle Front. They demanded
the release of seven fedayeen detained in Greek jails. With
the International Red Cross acting as intermediary, the
Greek Government yielded to the terrorists' terms, and the
fedayeen were released on 12 August.
13
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
6 September
West Germany. Two members of the PFLP hijacked a
TWA 707 flying from Frankfurt to New York and ordered it
to land at Dawson's Field, Zerka, Jordan, a former British
Air Force landing strip in the desert.
Switzerland. Two members of the PFLP hijacked a
Swissair DC-8 en route from Zurich to New York and
ordered it to land at Dawson's Field in Jordan.
India. Three members of the PFLP hijacked a Bahraini
BOAC VC-10 en route from Bombay to London and
ordered it to land at Dawson's Field in Jordan.
Once the three planes were in Jordan, the hijackers
demanded the release of fedayeen held in West German,
Swiss, and Israeli prisons. On 12 September, the planes
were evacuated and destroyed by PFLP explosive ex-
perts. Jordanian troops undertook a major military cam-
paign to oust Palestinian forces from Jordan, and negotia-
tions became of secondary importance to the embattled
PFLP. The hostages were rescued by Jordanian troops.
On 29 September, the Swiss Government announced the
release of seven Arab guerrillas by Switzerland, West
Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Netherlands. A Pan Am flight from Amsterdam was
hijacked by two members of the PFLP, who ordered the
plane to Cairo where it was destroyed. The two were
supposed to have been part of a PFLP group that was to
hijack an El Al plane to Dawson's Field, but they were
denied boarding on that plane. Seven passengers were
injured while evacuating the plane.
Netherlands. PFLP terrorist Leila Khaled and Nicaraguan
Patrick Arguello attempted to hijack an El Al aircraft on
the Tel Aviv-Amsterdam-New York route. An armed El Al
steward shot and killed the male hijacker and Khaled was
overpowered by passengers. The plane landed in London.
Their original plan had called for them to join the other
planes hijacked by the PFLP on this day to Dawson's Field
in Jordan. Khaled was released on 29 September in
exchange for the release of the hostages at Dawson's
Field.
1971 30 January
India. An Indian Airlines flight en route from Srinagar to
Jammu was hijacked to Lahore, Pakistan, by two mem-
bers of the Kashmiri Liberation Front. They demanded
asylum and the release of 36 prisoners held in Kashmir by
the Indian Government. The Indian Government refused to
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
negotiate with the terrorists, whereupon they blew up the
plane. Both terrorists were injured. The Indians protested
the Pakistani handling of the case and denied them
overflight privileges for military and eventually for commer-
cial planes.
1972 22 February
India. Five Palestinian terrorists hijacked a Lufthansa 747
en route from New Delhi to Athens and diverted it to Aden,
South Yemen. The passengers were released, and the
West German Government paid a $5 million ransom for
the release of the 16 crewmembers. The hijackers later
surrendered to South Yemeni authorities, who released
them on 27 February.
8 May
Austria. A Sabena plane, flying the Vienna-Athens-Tel
Aviv route, was hijacked by four members of the Black
September Organization (BSO) and diverted to Lod
Airport. The group demanded the release of 317 fedayeen
prisoners. Israeli security forces attacked the plane and
killed two hijackers. Five passengers were wounded in the
gunfight and one later died. Life sentences were given to
the two surviving hijackers.
15 August
Argentina. Six members of the People's Revolutionary
Army (ERP) escaped from Rawson Prison and hijacked
an Austral Airliner to Santiago, Chile. They were granted
political asylum by President Allende, who allowed them
to fly to Cuba on 25 August. The Argentine Government,
which had demanded extradition, recalled its ambassador
the next day. The government's response caused demon-
strations throughout Argentina, and the day has become a
major anniversary for leftist revolutionaries in that country.
15 September
Sweden. Three Croatian emigres hijacked an SAS airliner
and ransomed its passengers for six Croatian terrorists
being held in Swedish jails. The aircraft was flown to
Spain, where the Croatians surrendered to Spanish au-
thorities. The six who had been released in Sweden were
permitted to leave Spain for Paraguay in June 1974. On
5 December 1974, a Spanish military court sentenced the
three hijackers to 12 years in prison. On 13 February
1975, General Franco granted them a full pardon.
15
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
29 October
Lebanon. Two members of BSO hijacked Lufthansa flight
615 (en route from Beirut to Munich) to secure the
release of the three surviving members of the BSO team
that had massacred 11 members of the Israeli Olympic
team in Munich on 5 September 1972. The West German
Government complied, and the hijacked plane was kept
flying until the three released terrorists landed at Zagreb,
Yugoslavia, where the hijacked plane picked them up. The
plane was flown to Tripoli, Libya, where the passengers
and crew were released.
8 December
Ethiopia. An Ethiopian Airlines B-720 from Addis Ababa
to Asmara and Paris was hijacked shortly after takeoff by
seven students, all members of the Eritrean Liberation
Front (ELF) , who demanded the release of imprisoned
members of the ELF. Security guards immediately opened
fire. One of the hijackers exploded a hand grenade, which
tore a hole in the floor of the first-class section, stopped
one of the engines, and damaged the rudder. Of the 100
passengers, nine were wounded. Six of the hijackers died;
the seventh was seriously wounded. The plane landed
safely in Addis Ababa.
1973 25 November
Lebanon. Three armed members of the Arab Nationalist
Youth Organization for the Liberation of Palestine (AN-
YOLP) , a front organization for the PFLP, hijacked a KLM
747 with 247 passengers aboard as it was en route from
Beirut to New Delhi. After stops in Cyprus, Libya, Malta,
and Dubai, the hijackers surrendered to Dubai authorities,
who offered the terrorists safe conduct in exchange for the
hostages. On 8 December the hijackers were taken to Abu
Dhabi, where they presumably were turned over to the
PLO.
17 December
Italy. Five Palestinian terrorists opened fire in the customs
area of the Leonardo DaVinci Airport in Rome. The
terrorists took several hostages, proceeded to a Pan Am
707 that was loading for a flight to Beirut, and threw hand
grenades into the plane�killing or injuring numerous
passengers. The terrorists, with their hostages, then
boarded and hijacked a Lufthansa aircraft to Athens and
Kuwait, where the hijackers surrendered. They were flown
to Cairo on 2 March 1974, where they were to be tried by
the PLO, but Egyptian authorities would not release them.
They were eventually released in November 1974, on the
demand of four other fedayeen hijackers, and went to
Libya.
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
1974 3 March
Lebanon. A British Airways flight en route to London with
102 persons aboard was hijacked by two armed members
of the ANYOLP shortly after takeoff from Beirut. The
plane was diverted to Amsterdam, where the passengers
and crew were permitted to evacuate the plane before the
hijackers destroyed the aircraft by setting the plane's
liquor supply on fire. The duo was captured by police while
running from the plane; they were sentenced to five years'
imprisonment but were released several months later in an
agreement with four other hijackers who demanded their
release.
21 November
DubaL After climbing over an airport fence, four members
of the ANYOLP seized a British Airways jetliner on a
refueling stop en route from London to Singapore. They
forced the pilot to fly to Libya and then to Tunis, where
they demanded the release of 13 terrorists imprisoned in
Cairo and two in the Netherlands. The terrorists wounded
two members of the crew when they seized the plane and
killed one passenger in public view during the prolonged
negotiations in Tunis. Five of the fedayeen prisoners in
Cairo and the two in the Netherlands were taken to Tunis
and handed over to the hijackers. The terrorists surren-
dered to the Tunisian authorities on 25 November and
released all remaining passengers and crew. They were
subsequently turned over to the PLO and flown to an
unknown destination.
/975 1 March
Iraq. Three armed men, all apparently Kurdish sympathiz-
ers, hijacked an Iraqi Airways plane on a domestic flight
and diverted it to Tehran. A passenger was shot to death
and 10 persons, including one hijacker, were wounded in a
gun battle between the hijackers and Iraqi security officers
aboard the plane. The hijackers surrendered to Iranian
authorities in Tehran. On 7 April they were executed by an
Iranian firing squad.
1976 7 April
Philippines. A Philippine Airlines (PAL) jet on a domes-
tic flight was hijacked by three members of the Moro
National Liberation Front (MNLF) who demanded the
release of four political prisoners and asylum. In Manila the
70 passengers were released in exchange for crew-
members and a PAL vice president who were retained as
hostages. After several intermediary stops, the plane
landed at Bangkok, where the Philippine Government
provided another because of mechanical difficulties. The
plane arrived in Libya on 13 April, and after some delay,
the hijackers were given asylum in Libya.
17
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
21 May
Philippines. A Philippines Airlines jet flying from Davao
to Manila was hijacked by six members of the MNLF who
diverted the plane to Zamboanga. Their demand of a
ransom and a plane to fly them to Libya was refused.
After 48 hours of stalemate, the plane exploded in flames
in an exchange of gunfire between the hijackers and
Philippine troops. Ten passengers and three hijackers
were killed, and 22 hostages were injured. The three
surviving hijackers were subsequently convicted and sen-
tenced to death.
27 June
Greece. An Air France aircraft en route from Tel Aviv to
Paris was hijacked out of Athens by seven members of the
PFLP. After refueling at Benghazi, Libya, the aircraft flew
to Entebbe Airfield in Uganda, where the crew and more
than 240 passengers were held hostage. The hijackers
demanded the release of 53 terrorists imprisoned in Israel,
West Germany, France, Switzerland, and Kenya. They
were provided additional weapons by the Ugandans, who
also guarded the hostages. On 1 July Israeli commandos
attacked the airport and secured the release of the
remaining hostages. Three hostages and one Israeli officer
were killed in the raid, as well as seven hijackers and a
number of Ugandan soldiers.
23 August
Egypt. An Egypt Air 737 en route from Cairo to Luxor was
hijacked by three armed terrorists claiming to be members
of the Abd al-Nasir Movement. They demanded to be
flown to Libya, but allowed the plane to land at Luxor to
refuel. They demanded the release of five Libyans impris-
oned in Cairo in connection with two assassination at-
tempts. Egyptian commandos stormed the plane and
captured the hijackers; no passengers were injured. The
terrorists were convicted and sentenced to hard labor for
life.
10 September
United States. A TWA 727 from New York to Chicago
with 86 passengers on board was hijacked by six Croatian
nationalists, who diverted the plane to Newfoundland,
Iceland, and finally Paris. Their demands included drop-
ping propaganda leaflets over London, Montreal, and
Paris and publication of a communique in major newspa-
pers, both of which were met. The hijackers also directed
police to a bomb placed in a subway locker at Grand
Central Terminal in New York. While trying to deactivate
the bomb, one policeman was killed and three others were
seriously injured. The group surrendered to French au-
thorities, and they were immediately returned to the
United States. All the passengers and crew were released
unharmed.
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
1977 8 July
Lebanon. A Kuwaiti plane en route from Beirut to Kuwait
was hijacked by six Fatah dissidents who claimed to be
members of the Friends of the Arabs. They demanded the
release of 300 prisoners in Arab jails. The aircraft landed
in Kuwait for refueling, and the hijackers released their
hostages in two groups there, in exchange for safe
conduct to South Yemen. Once airborne with three Arab
officials who had volunteered to serve as hostages, the
hijackers redirected the plane to Damascus. After 10
hours of unsuccessful negotiations with Syrian authorities,
five of the hijackers overpowered their leader and surren-
dered to the Syrians.
28 September
India. JRA guerrillas hijacked a Japan Airlines plane
shortly after takeoff from Bombay and forced it to land in
Dacca, Bangladesh. The Japanese Government agreed to
the terrorists' demands for the release of nine imprisoned
Japanese and $6 million in exchange for the more than
150 hostages on the aircraft. Some hostages were re-
leased at refueling stops in Kuwait and Syria. Upon arrival
in Algiers on 3 October, the hijackers, along with six of the
released prisoners, released the remaining hostages and
surrendered to Algerian authorities. They were expelled
from Algeria shortly thereafter, and their whereabouts are
unknown.
13 October
Spain. A Lufthansa plane en route from Majorca to
Frankfurt was hijacked by four Arabic-speaking terrorists,
who directed the plane to refueling stops in Rome, Nico-
sia, and several Middle Eastern countries. They demanded
a $15-million ransom and the release of two Palestinians
jailed in Turkey and 11 German terrorists. The hijackers
killed the pilot before the plane arrived in Mogadiscio,
Somalia, on 17 October. The next day an FRG commando
team stormed the plane, freeing all of the hostages, killing
three of the terrorists, and wounding the fourth, who was
convicted and received a 20-year prison sentence.
4 December
Malaysia. A Malaysian aircraft that was hijacked shortly
after departing Kuala Lumpur crashed while preparing to
land in Singapore. There were no survivors. Investigators
later announced that the hijackers shot both pilots just
before the crash. No group claimed responsibility.
19
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
1979 20 June
United States. An American Airlines jet from New York
to Chicago was hijacked by a Serbian nationalist, who
demanded the release of a Serbian priest imprisoned in
Chicago and a safe flight to Peru. The hijackers, the priest,
and four other Serbs�all members of Freedom for the
Serbian Fatherland (SEPO) �had been convicted on 24
May for the 1975 bombing of the Yugoslav Consulate in
Chicago. After landing in Chicago, the hijacker released
the passengers and all but three crewmembers. His lawyer
boarded the plane and they flew to Ireland's Shannon
Airport, where he was taken into custody by Irish authori-
ties who returned him to the United States.
7 September
Lebanon. Three Lebanese Shiite Muslims hijacked an
Alitalia DC-8 en route from Tehran to Rome shortly after a
refueling stop in Beirut. They were protesting the 1978
disappearance of their spiritual leader, Imam Mousa Sadr,
and demanded passage to Cuba, where they wished to
present their case for Sadr to the Havana Nonaligned
Conference. The plane landed in Rome for refueling and
negotiation. Cuba granted permission for the plane to land
there providing all hostages were released in Rome, but a
tropical storm precluded that flight, and the hijackers were
persuaded to fly to Iran. Iranian authorities took the
hijackers into custody; Italian officials said they would
request extradition.
1980 13 October
Turkey. A Turkish Airlines 727 on a flight from Munich to
Ankara was hijacked by five gunmen of unknown affili-
ation after departing Istanbul for Ankara. The plane was
diverted to Diyarbakir for refueling. The hijackers demand-
ed to be flown to Tehran (the pilot refused because of its
location in a war zone) and then to Jidda, Saudi Arabia.
Turkish Army commandos stormed the plane and freed
the more than 100 passengers and crew, killing one
passenger and one of the hijackers. Four of the hijackers
and 13 passengers were wounded.
15 December
Colombia. An Avianca airliner on a domestic flight be-
tween Bogota and Pereira was hijacked by 12 guerrillas,
members of the 19th of April Movement (M-19), in an
apparent attempt to disrupt the Latin American summit
meeting that was to open in Santa Marta, Colombia, the
next day. The plane made stops in Santa Marta, Barran-
quilla, Panama City, Mexico City (for refueling) , and
Havana, where the hijackers were taken into custody by
Cuban authorities. Various numbers of passengers were
released at each stop. No injuries were reported.
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
1981 2 March
Pakistan. Three armed hijackers forced a Pakistan Inter-
national Airlines plane, on a flight from Karachi to Pesha-
war with 148 passengers and crew on board, to fly to
Kabul, Afghanistan. The trio identified themselves as
members of a group called Al Zulfiqar, a group reportedly
connected with the Pakistan Liberation Army. They de-
manded the release of people detained during the recent
student unrest in Pakistan. During the course of the
negotiations in Kabul, the hijackers released 28 women
and children and shot and killed one passenger who was
identified as the first secretary of the Pakistani Embassy in
Tehran. On 8 March the hijackers forced the aircraft to fly
to Damascus, Syria. After further negotiations with Paki-
stani officials, 54 of the jailed prisoners were released and
flown to Syria on 14 March. The hijackers surrendered to
Syrian authorities later that day.
21
24 March
Honduras. After taking off from Tegucigalpa, a New
Orleans-bound Honduran 737 was hijacked by five armed
individuals who claimed to be members of the Popular
Liberation Movement (MPL) �the armed action unit of
the People's Revolutionary Union (URP) , an offshoot of
the Communist Party of Honduras. The plane with 93
passengers and crew was diverted to Managua, Nicara-
gua, where the hijackers released 37 passengers and
demanded the release of 15 Salvadoran leftists jailed in
Honduras. When negotiations failed to materialize, the
hijackers ordered the pilot to fly to Panama. There�
apparently under the impression that the Government of
Honduras would free the Salvadoran prisoners�they re-
leased the remaining hostages and turned themselves
over to Panamanian authorities.
28 March
Indonesia. Five hijackers armed with handguns and gre-
nades forced a Garuda Indonesian Airways DC-9 to fly to
Penangy, Malaysia, where one hostage was released. The
plane was refueled and flown to Bangkok, where the
hijackers demanded the release of 20 people jailed in
Indonesia. The hijackers were described as members of a
fanatic Muslim group called the Komando Jihad (Holy
War Command) . A British passenger and one of the
Americans on board escaped on 29 March; the American
was wounded by the hijackers as he ran from the plane.
On 31 March Indonesian commandos stormed the plane;
four of the five hijackers were killed in the gun battle, as
well as the plane's captain and one commando. The
remaining hijacker is apparently under arrest.
pproved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
24 May
Turkey. Four men hijacked a Turkish Airlines DC-9 on a
domestic flight from Istanbul to Ankara shortly after it left
Istanbul with 120 passengers and crew. The plane was
diverted to Burgas airport in Bulgaria, where the hijackers
demanded the release of prisoners from Turkish jails and a
sum of money. They threatened to kill the five Americans
on board if their demands were not met. On 25 May two of
the hijackers left the plane to "hold a news conference"
and were arrested by Bulgarian authorities. The pair who
remained on the plane were overpowered by their hos-
tages; five passengers were injured during the struggle.
Turkish authorities identified two of the four terrorists as
members of Dev Sol (Revolutionary Left) and have
indicated that they plan to seek extradition.
26 September
Yugoslavia. While on a domestic flight, a Yugoslav Air-
lines Boeing 737 carrying more than 100 passengers and
crew was hijacked just before landing in Belgrade. Three
armed Croatians commandeered the plane and requested
to be flown to Tel Aviv. The Israelis refused to permit the
plane to land, and it then proceeded to Larnaca, Cyprus.
The passengers and crew staged a mock fire and alarm
and fled the plane by the emergency exits. The hijackers
then surrendered to Cyprus police. They were returned to
Belgrade under guard on 27 September.
7 December
Venezuela. Three airliners, carrying a total of more than
250 passengers and crew on domestic flights, were hi-
jacked over Venezuela by members of Bandera Roja
armed with hand grenades and automatic weapons. One
plane was diverted to Aruba and then to Barranquilla,
Colombia, joining the two other planes that had already
arrived in that city. After 10 hours on the ground in
Barranquilla, two of the planes flew to Tegucigalpa, Hon-
duras, and the third flew to Guatemala City, Guatemala.
All three planes then proceeded to Panama and from
there flew to Havana, Cuba, where hostages not previous-
ly freed were released and the hijackers taken into custo-
dy by the Cuban authorities. Their demands included a
ransom of $10 million and freedom for seven Venezuelan
political prisoners.
7 December
Italy. A Libyan jet on a flight from Zurich, Switzerland, to
Tripoli, Libya, with 44 passengers and crew was diverted
to Beirut, Lebanon, by three Lebanese Muslim gunmen.
After refueling, the plane flew to Athens, Greece, where a
woman and two children were released. The jet then flew
to Rome, Italy, and back to Beirut. During the second stop
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
in Beirut the hijackers took hostage 30 passengers de-
planing from a flight that had just arrived from London and
held them until the hijacked plane was refueled. The
Libyan aircraft then flew to Tehran, Iran, where Iranian
officials pledged to mediate the hijackers' demands for
information on the fate of their spiritual leader Mussa Sadr,
who had disappeared in August 1978 during a visit to
Libya. On 8 December the plane left Tehran and for the
third time landed in Beirut. After brief negotiations with
Nabih Barri, the Amal leader who was present at the
airport, the hijackers released the 35 hostages they were
holding and turned themselves over to airport security
personnel and the Syrian contingent of the Arab deterrent
force (ADF) present at the airport.
1982 27 January
Colombia. A Colombian 727 with approximately 130
passengers and crew, including two US citizens, was
hijacked shortly after takeoff from Bogota. The seven
hijackers claimed to be members of the M-19. They forced
the pilot to return to Bogota and then to fly to Cali, where
the aircraft was damaged when it hit a truck that was
blocking the runway. The hijackers threatened to blow up
the plane and all remaining hostages if another aircraft
was not provided. A small executive jet was provided by
Colombian authorities and the hijackers flew to San
Andres for refueling and then on to Havana, where they
requested asylum.
23
24 February
Lebanon. Gunmen attempted to hijack a Kuwaiti 707 just
after the plane landed at the Beirut Airport from Tripoli,
Libya. The 12 Shiite gunmen ran toward the plane firing
weapons, forced 105 deplaning passengers and crew
back onto the plane, and demanded the release of their
Shiite leader Imam Mousa Sadr. There were several ex-
changes of gunfire, and one burst of automatic weapons
fire hit the control tower before the hijackers agreed to
release their hostages in return for safe conduct to a
Syrian army post near the border. Two people were
reported to have been wounded during the incident. As a
result of the attempted hijacking, the airline announced
that it was suspending all of its regular flights to Beirut.
26 February
Tanzania. Four armed men, accompanied by their fam-
ilies, hijacked an Air Tanzania 737 on a domestic flight
with about 100 passengers and crew. The plane was
forced to fly to Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Greece, and
Stansted, England. The hijackers claimed to be members
pproved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
of the Revolutionary Youth Movement of Tanzania. They
threatened to blow up the plane (explosives were found
wired to the aircraft doors and in a toilet, according to one
press report) if President Nyerere did not resign. The co-
pilot was slightly injured just before the plane landed in
Athens. The hijackers released the remaining hostages in
Stansted and then sent their weapons off the plane with
two of their children before surrendering to British
authorities.
28 April
Honduras. An airliner on a domestic flight from La Ceiba
with 48 passengers, including 13 US citizens, was hijacked
by four members of the Lorenzo Zelaya Popular Revolu-
tionary Forces. They diverted the plane to Tegucigalpa
Airport, where they released 15 passengers and demand-
ed $1 million and the release of political prisoners held by
the Honduran Government. On 1 May, 11 passengers
escaped from the plane during the early morning hours;
two people were injured during the escape. The hijackers
released the remaining 15 hostages in exchange for a
plane to fly them to Cuba. Cuban authorities took the four
into custody upon their arrival in Havana.
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489
Office for Combatting Terrorism
Department of State
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C05164489