Aviation Terror: A Decade-Long History of Hijackings and Mass Killings
A look at aviation terror incidents linked to predominantly Muslim nations over the past six decades.
2 min read
Over the past six decades, air travel has been repeatedly used as a stage for political terror, hostage diplomacy, and mass murder by extremists originating from predominantly Muslim nations. From the 1960s to the present day, skyjacking has been a weapon of choice across the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa.
Early Years of Aviation Terror
Palestinian nationalist and Left-wing factions like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) pioneered modern aviation terror. In 1968, PFLP terrorists took over an El Al jet and flew it to Algiers, marking the beginning of the modern hijacking era. A year later, they blew up the nose section of a TWA plane in Damascus. In 1970, the PFLP seized four airliners, eventually blowing up three empty passenger jets in the Jordanian desert.
Notable Hijackings and Terror Attacks
In 1972, Black September terrorists stormed a flight to Tel Aviv, leading to the handover of the surviving Munich Olympics attackers, who had murdered 11 Israeli team members. The 1973 JAL 404 incident and 1974 British Airways 870 incident saw Palestinian groups collaborate with international radicals, resulting in aircraft explosions in Benghazi and a casualty in Tunis.
The Entebbe hijacking in 1976 was famously ended by Israeli commandos, including Benjamin Netanyahu’s older brother, Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, who was killed in the operation. In 1977, German GSG 9 forces stormed the “Landshut” in Mogadishu after PFLP terrorists murdered the pilot.
Continuing Threats and Modern Incidents
In 1981, Indonesian commandos eliminated Komando Jihad extremists in Bangkok. The 1984 Kuwait Airways 221 and 1985 TWA 847 incidents involved Hezbollah-linked terrorists who killed two USAID officials in Tehran and brutally murdered U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem during a 17-day standoff.
The Abu Nidal Organization was responsible for the 1985 EgyptAir 648 and 1986 Pan Am 73 incidents, leaving a trail of bloody carnage. In 1988, Lebanese terrorists held passengers hostage across three countries for 16 days, resulting in two deaths.
The 1994 Air France 8969 incident saw Algerian GIA extremists attempt to crash a flight into the Eiffel Tower before being neutralized by French GIGN commandos. In 1999, Indian Airlines 814 and 2001 Vnukovo 2806 incidents involved Pakistani terrorists forcing India to release Masood Azhar, while Chechen rebels seized a Russian jet bound for Istanbul.
The September 11, 2001 attacks marked the deadliest terror attack in human history, with 2,977 people killed in New York, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The 2007 Atlasjet 1011 incident saw Al-Qaeda-linked operatives hijack a Turkish flight, but the plane was grounded in Antalya, where passengers escaped. The 2016 EgyptAir 181 incident involved an Egyptian national wearing a fake suicide belt forcing a Cairo-bound jet to Cyprus. In 2026, a Flydubai flight was attacked mid-air when its own Omani co-pilot stabbed the pilot, resulting in a dramatic plunge before the plane was saved.
Source: Daily Wire
