1931 February 21st. - Peru: a Pan American Airways Fokker F7 mail aircraft was commandeered by Peruvian rebels for the purpose of dropping leaflets; no casualties.

1968 July 23rd. - from Rome, Italy to Algiers, Algeria: an El Al Boeing 707, flight 426 from Rome, Italy to Tel Aviv, Israel with 48 people aboard (38 passengers, 10 crew) was commandeered to Algiers by three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The Israeli nationals (22) were held by Algerian authorities, but released within the next five weeks; no casualties.

1969 August 18th. - from Cairo, Egypt to El Wagah, Saudi Arabia: an United Arab Airlines Antonov-24 with 30 people on a domestic flight from Cairo to Luxor in Egypt was commandeered to Saudi Arabia. The two hijackers were arrested and returned to Egypt.

1969 August 29th. from the Adriatic Sea to Damascus, Syria: a TWA Boeing 707, flight 840 from Rome, Italy to Athens, Greece with 113 people aboard was hijacked by members of the PFLP; after landing and subsequent evacuation the cockpit of the plane was destroyed with explosives; most people were released immediately, six Israeli nationals were released months later in exchange for prisoners held in Israel.


1971 January 23rd. South Korea, Korean Air Lines Fokker F-27, hijacked and ordered to fly to North Korea. South Korean military aircraft forced the turboprop to crash-land before the border, assailant then killed himself with a hand grenade, 2 people died, 58 survived

1976 May 23rd. Philippines, Mindanao, Zamboanga Airport, Philippine Airline BAC 1-11, hijacker hold aircraft on the ground hostage, after initial successful negotiation the situation escalated in gunfire and hand-grenade explosions, 13 people died

1977 December 4th. Malaysia, Joho Bahrain, Malaysian Airline System Boeing 737, mid-air explosion due to a hijacking attempt, all 100 people died

1986 September 6th. Pakistan, Karachi Airport: Pan American World Airways Boeing 747, 375 people aboard held hostage, 21 people died due to gunfire and grenade explosions

1986 December 25th. Saudi Arabia, Arab Airport, Iraqi Airlines Boeing 737, shooting between hijackers and security personnel ended in an unsuccessful emergency landing attempt, 71 people died, 36 survived

1990 October 2nd. China, Baiyun Airport: Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737, during emergency landing a hijacker struggled with the pilot and the aircraft went out-of-control, struck a China Southwest Airlines Boeing 707 and slammed into a China Southern Airlines Boeing 757, 132 people died, 141 survived (20 in the 737, 71 in the 757)

1993 August 28th. Siberia, Tajikistan, Khorog: Tajikistan Airlines Yak-40 crashed, hijacker forced the pilots to take off the overloaded airplane, but it didn't go airborne, overran the airport runway and fell down in a river bank; no post crash fire, 82 people died (49 survived?)

1994 December 24th. from Algiers, Algeria to Marseille, France: an Air France Airbus A300, flight 8969 bound for Paris was seized by four Islamic terrorists during take-off preparations; 3 passengers were killed before the plane departed from Houari Boumedienne Airport; in Marseille a special operations team of the French military stormed the aircraft and destroyed all 4 hijackers; 25 people were injured (13 passengers, 3 crew, 9 officers).

1996 March Germany, Munich Airport: a hijacker armed with a bomb and handgun seized a Turkish Cypriot airliner taking off from northern Cyprus for Istanbul, Turkey. He surrendered to German authorities at Munich airport, freeing more than 100 hostages.

1997 June Germany, Cologne Airport: two men hijacked an Air Malta airliner en route for Istanbul, with 90 people on board. The men gave themselves up three hours after the plane landed in Cologne, Germany. No explosives were found on the aircraft.

1998 February Turkey, Adana Airport: a Turkish Airlines plane was hijacked shortly after takeoff from the southern city of Adana in February 1998. The hijacker, claiming to be carrying a bomb inside a teddy bear, said he was on a mission from God. Security forces disguised as caterers boarded the plane and captured the hijacker. Forty-one passengers and five crew members were still on board when he was captured. The bomb turned out to be a dummy.

1998 October Turkey, Ankara Airport: a Turkish airliner taking off from Adana was hijacked and demanded to be flown to Switzerland. The plane landed in Ankara after the crew convinced the hijacker they would need to refuel. There, an elite Turkish anti-terrorist team stormed the plane and killed him. No passengers or crew members were injured.

1999 October Germany, Hamburg Airport: a hijacker armed with a knife seized control of an Egyptian airliner shortly after it took off from Istanbul, Turkey. He ordered the crew to take him to London but was told the plane did not have enough fuel. He surrendered to German authorities after landing in Hamburg. None of the 54 people aboard were hurt.

2001 March 15th-16th Turkey, Istanbul Airport - Saudi Arabia, Medina Airport: a Vnukovo Airlines Tupolew Tu-154 was seized by three Chechnyan hijackers shortly after it took off from Istanbul scheduled to fly to Moscow. The plane, with at least 174 people on board was flown to Medina, were about 60 passengers were released. During the hijack attempt in Istanbul 1 person was injured and taken to a hospital and the plane dropped 10,000 feet in altitude as a passenger fought with hijackers near the entrance to the cockpit. After 18 hours of unsuccessful negotiations at Medina Airport Saudi Arabian special forces stormed the plane still on the tarmac. 162 passengers and 12 crew on board were freed, but 3 people - a hijacker, a passenger and a flight attendant -- died during the combat operation.