From Flydubai to FedEx, 15 airline hijacking attempts which were foiled

Aviation history includes several terrifying incidents in which hijackings, cockpit attacks, bomb attempts, and deliberate actions nearly resulted in catastrophic airline disasters. In some cases, quick thinking by pilots, crew, passengers, or security forces prevented tragedy. 

The following examples highlight some of the most remarkable incidents where disaster was foiled at the eleventh hour:  

1. Flydubai (2026):
   Dubai to Tel Aviv (Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport; diverted to Tabuk Regional Airport). Co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and attempted to crash the aircraft; crew and passengers intervened. All passengers survived.


2. FedEx Flight (1994):
   Memphis to San Jose (Memphis International Airport to San Jose International Airport). An off-duty crew member attacked the pilots; the injured crew fought him off and landed safely. All aboard survived.


3. Horizon Air (2023):
   Seattle to San Francisco (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to San Francisco International Airport; diverted to Portland International Airport). An off-duty pilot allegedly attempted to shut down the engines; the operating crew regained control. All passengers survived.


4. Ethiopian Airlines (2014):
   Addis Ababa to Rome (Addis Ababa Bole International Airport to Rome Fiumicino Airport; diverted to Geneva Airport). The co-pilot locked the captain out and diverted the aircraft before surrendering. All passengers survived.


5. QantasLink Flight (2003):
   Melbourne to Launceston (Melbourne Airport to Launceston Airport). A passenger attempted to reach the cockpit with makeshift weapons; passengers and crew restrained him. All passengers survived.


6. Air New Zealand Flight (1987):
   Nadi (Nadi International Airport). A hijacker held the cockpit crew hostage; the flight engineer eventually knocked him out with a whisky bottle. All passengers survived.


7. Air France Flight (1994):
   Algiers to Marseille (Houari Boumediene Airport to Marseille Provence Airport). Armed hijackers seized the aircraft; French commandos stormed it and rescued the passengers. All passengers survived.


8. Lufthansa Flight (1977):
   Palma de Mallorca to Mogadishu (Palma de Mallorca Airport to Aden Adde International Airport). Hijackers held passengers hostage; German commandos stormed the aircraft and rescued the hostages. Most passengers survived.


9. American Airlines Flight (2001):
   Paris to Miami (Charles de Gaulle Airport to Miami International Airport; diverted to Boston Logan International Airport). A shoe-bomb attempt was foiled when passengers and crew restrained the attacker. All passengers survived.


10. El Al Flight (2002): Tel Aviv to Istanbul (Ben Gurion Airport to Istanbul Airport). A passenger allegedly tried to storm the cockpit with a knife; security personnel overpowered him. All passengers survived.


11. Continental Airlines (1987):
    Chicago to New York (O'Hare International Airport to Newark Airport; landed at Washington Dulles International Airport). A hijacking attempt was contained after the captain landed safely. All passengers survived.


12. KLM Flight (1987):
    Amsterdam to Athens (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Athens International Airport; diverted to Rome Fiumicino Airport). A teenage hijacker claimed to have a bomb; authorities eventually captured him. All passengers survived.


13. Japan Airlines Flight (1982):
    Fukuoka to Tokyo (Fukuoka Airport to Haneda Airport). The captain deliberately selected reverse thrust during approach, causing a crash into Tokyo Bay. 150 survived; 24 died.


14. El Al Flight (1968): 
    Rome to Tel Aviv (Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport to Ben Gurion Airport; diverted to Houari Boumediene Airport). Hijackers seized the aircraft and held passengers hostage before negotiations secured their release. All passengers survived.


15. SAM Colombia Flight (1973):
    Bogotá to Buenos Aires (El Dorado International Airport to Ministro Pistarini International Airport, via several airports). Two hijackers seized the aircraft; the lengthy incident eventually ended without a mass-casualty outcome. Passengers survived.

These incidents show how quickly an ordinary flight can turn into a life-threatening situation. In many cases, the courage and quick decisions of pilots, crew members, passengers, and security personnel made the difference between disaster and survival. They also helped shape the stricter aviation safety and security measures used around the world today.