✈️ Plane hijackings have decreased dramatically

• The number of plane hijackings has significantly decreased since the 1980s.
• The number of fatalities in plane hijackings has also decreased.
• The last major hijacking occurred during the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Decrease in hijackings

Plane hijackings were once a common occurrence, especially during the 1960s and 1970s. The number of hijackings peaked during these decades, with over 80 incidents per year at its worst.

During the 1980s and 1990s, the number of hijackings began to decline, and after 2001, they have become very rare.

Notable hijackings

One of the most well-known hijackings is Air France Flight 139, which was hijacked on June 27, 1976. Four hijackers, two of whom were members of the Palestinian militant organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and two of whom belonged to the German left-wing terrorist group Red Army Faction, took over the plane during a stopover in Athens. They flew the plane to Uganda, where they were received by dictator Idi Amin. After a dramatic rescue operation by Israeli forces, Operation Entebbe, all passengers were freed except for three who were killed in the crossfire.

Another significant hijacking occurred in 1985 with TWA Flight 847. The plane was hijacked after leaving Athens on its way to Rome. The two hijackers forced the plane to fly back and forth between Algeria and Lebanon for 17 days. An American Navy diver, Robert Dean Stethem, was killed, and his body was left on the Beirut airport tarmac. After negotiations, all other passengers were released.

In the same year, EgyptAir Flight 648 was hijacked on its way from Athens to Cairo by three members of the Palestinian militant group Abu Nidal Organization. An Egyptian security guard on the plane shot one of the hijackers, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Malta. Negotiations followed, but the hijackers began executing hostages when their demands were not met. A rescue operation by Egyptian soldiers led to an explosion that killed several passengers and set the plane on fire. Hijacker Ali Rezaq survived and is now serving a life sentence in the USA.

The most devastating hijacking in history occurred on September 11, 2001. Four planes were hijacked by terrorists and used as weapons against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, resulting in nearly 3000 deaths. This led to extensive changes in security measures worldwide.

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