El Al Flight 426 hijacking

El Al Flight 426

El Al 707 on the runway
Hijacking summary
Date	July 23, 1968
Summary	Hijacking
Passengers	51 (Including 3 hijackers)
Crew	10
Fatalities	0
Survivors	61 (Including 3 hijackers)
Aircraft type	Boeing 707
Operator	El Al
Flight origin	London Heathrow Airport
Stopover	Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport
Destination	Lod Airport (renamed Ben Gurion International Airport)

El Al Flight 426 was an El Al passenger flight hijacked on July 23, 1968 by three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), setting off a wave of hijackings by the PFLP.^[1]

History

The aircraft, a Boeing 707, was en route from London Heathrow Airport to Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport and then to Lod Airport, now known as Ben Gurion International Airport. The plane was diverted to Algiers.^[2][3]

One of the hijackers opened the unlocked door to the flight deck, clubbed the copilot with the butt of his pistol and ordered the plane to fly to Algiers. The other two hijackers threatened the passengers with pistols and hand grenades.

When the plane landed at Dar El Beida, Algerian authorities impounded the plane. The following day they sent all non-Israeli passengers to France on Air Algérie Caravelle jets. Twelve Israeli passengers and the crew of ten were held as hostages. Ten women and children were released over the weekend. The hijackers were identified as members of the Jordan-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. They were equipped with Iranian and Indian passports. Each of the hijackers were carefully chosen by the PFLP because of their occupations (a pilot, a Colonel in the Palestinian army and a Karate teacher).

The Israeli and Algerian governments negotiated the return of the hostages and plane through diplomatic channels. Five weeks later, everyone was released in exchange for 16 convicted Arab prisoners.^[1] According to the BBC, lasting 40 days, it was the longest hijacking of a commercial flight.^[4]

See also

• List of aircraft hijackings
• Airport security
• Lufthansa Flight 181
• Operation Entebbe

References

1. "Drama of the Desert: The Week of the Hostages". Time.com. 1970-09-21. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
2. "Skyway Robbery". Time.com. 1968-08-02. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
3. Emergency Management Net Hijack list Archived July 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
4. "History of airliner hijackings". BBC. 3 October 2001. Retrieved 8 December 2015.

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