40 Years Since Pan Am Flight 73 Hijacking in Karachi
· World · Hindustan Times, Indian Express
Forty years ago on September 5, 1986, Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked by four armed men during a stopover in Karachi, Pakistan. The Mumbai-Frankfurt-New York flight was carrying 379 passengers and crew, including 193 Indian nationals. The hijackers disguised themselves as airport security personnel to storm the aircraft, but their plans were disrupted when cabin crew alerted the cockpit. The pilot, co-pilot, and engineer escaped through an emergency hatch, preventing the aircraft from taking off. Pakistani commandos eventually stormed the plane after a 17-hour standoff, in an assault that left at least 15 people dead and around 100 injured, including Indian flight attendant Neerja Bhanot.
Why it matters
The hijacking remains one of aviation history's deadliest security breaches, remembered for the sacrifice of Indian flight attendant Neerja Bhanot and the vulnerabilities exposed during transit stops.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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