EgyptAir Flight 648 was a regularly scheduled international flight between Athens Ellinikon International Airport (Greece) and Cairo International Airport (Egypt). On 23 November 1985, a Boeing 737-266 airliner servicing the flight was hijacked by the Palestinian terrorist organization Abu Nidal. The airplane involved was a nine-year-old Boeing 737-266, MSN 21191, registered as SU-AYH. It was manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in 1976. It was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17 engines. The hijacking of Flight 648 is one of the bloodiest incidents in history. Egyptian forces launched a raid on the plane. This raid resulted in the death of 56 of the 86 passengers. Furthermore, it led to the death of two of the three Palestinian hijackers and two of the six crew members.

Hijacking

The Beginning Of The Hijacking

Flight 648 took off at 8 pm on November 23, 1985, on its Athens-to-Cairo route. Ten minutes after the plane took off, one of the deadliest events in aviation history began. Three Palestinian members of the Abu Nidal gang hijacked the airplane. This group was also responsible for the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 a year later.

What Happened

Terrorist leader Salem Chakore checked all the passports. And at the same moment, Omar Razaq went to the cockpit to change the course of the plane. Then, Chakuri asked the European, Australian, Israeli, and American passengers to sit at the front of the plane. The rest, including the Greeks and Egyptians, were sent to the back. When Chakore approached an Egyptian Security Service agent, Methad Mustafa Kamal reached into his pocket. It appeared as though he would take out his passport. Instead, he quickly pulled out his gun and shot Chakore dead.

Methad then engaged in a shootout with another robber, Bou Said Nar Al-din Mohammed (Nar Al-Din Bou Said). Nineteen shots were fired until Kamal and two flight attendants were wounded by Razaq. In the exchange of gunfire, the fuselage was punctured, causing rapid depressurization. As a result, the aircraft descended to 14,000 feet (4,300 m). This allowed the crew and passengers to breathe. Oxygen masks were then deployed.

Destination

Libya was the original destination of the hijackers. Due to a lack of fuel, damage from the shootout, and negative publicity, Malta was chosen. While approaching Malta, the aircraft was running dangerously low on fuel, experiencing serious pressurization problems, and carrying wounded passengers. However, Maltese authorities did not give permission for the aircraft to land. The hijackers insisted and forced the pilots, Hani Galal and Imad Mounib (both aged 39), to land at Luqa Airport. As a last try to stop the landing, the runway lights were switched off. Despite this, the pilot managed to land the damaged aircraft safely.

Standoff

Kamal’s Escape

The two remaining hijackers allowed doctors and engineers to examine the patients and injured. In addition to repairing the damage to the plane. When the doctor told the hijackers that Salem Chakore had been killed, Omar Rezaq shot Kamal again. Somehow, Kamal survived.

With the help of an interpreter, Bonnici refused to refuel the plane. He did not withdraw the Maltese Armed Forces that had surrounded the plane. He waited until all the passengers were released. The 16 Filipino passengers, 16 Egyptian passengers, and two wounded flight attendants were allowed to disembark. The hijackers then began shooting the hostages. They started with Tamar Artzi, 24, an Israeli woman. She was shot in the head and back. Artzi survived her wounds.

Rizk took over the hijacking, threatening to kill a passenger every 15 minutes until his demands were met. His next victim was Nitzan Mendelsohn, 23, another Israeli woman, who died a week later after being declared brain dead. Mendelsohn knew what was coming, so she resisted. Rizk grabbed her by the hair and led her to the stairs before shooting her. As he threw Mendelsohn’s body down the stairs, he noticed Artzi moving. He shot her from behind from the top of the stairs. Once again, Artzi survived her wounds. Then he targeted three Americans, their hands tied behind their backs.

The Raid

The US informed the Maltese authorities about Egypt’s special forces counterterrorism team. This team was trained by the US Delta Force and was ready to go. After receiving this information, the Maltese authorities gave them permission. Egyptian Unit 777, led by Major General Kamal Attia, was flown in, along with four US officers. Negotiations dragged on as long as possible. The attack on the plane was set for the morning of November 25. This timing was chosen when food was being loaded onto the plane. Soldiers dressed as caterers would open the door and attack.

Without warning, the Egyptian commandos began the raid about an hour and a half earlier than originally planned. They blew the doors open with explosives. Fifty-two passengers suffocated from the fumes. This included pregnant women and children. The fumes enveloped the plane because the soldiers placed a bomb under the fuselage to storm the airplane hold.

According to Dr. Abella Medici, two kilograms of the highly explosive Semtex were used. This amount provided more force than was necessary. It allowed the commandos to safely enter the plane. Mifsud Bonnici stated that these explosions caused the interior plastic of the plane to ignite, causing widespread asphyxiation. Yet, the Times of Malta reported that the hijackers threw grenades into the passenger area when they realized they were under attack. This action killed people and set the plane on fire.

The storming of the airplane resulted in the deaths of 54 of the remaining 87 passengers. Additionally, two crew members and one hijacker were killed. Only one hijacker—Omar Rezaq, who had survived—remained undetected by the Maltese government. Rezaq came out of the cockpit. A commando shot him in the chest. As he went down, he threw a grenade. Captain Galal later tried to attack Rezaq with the cockpit axe, but Rezaq managed to escape from the plane. None of the Egyptian commandos were killed, but one had a leg blown off.

Farouk Diab

I am Farouk Mohammed a 16 year-old student at STEM High School for Boys – 6th of October. My major is Astronomy and Astrophysics with some concentration in physics, proving this passion with my success in achieving the silver medal at the Open World Astronomy Olympiad (OWAO).

You might also like:

• Schengen Visa Process Goes Digital: Simplifying Applications for All Nationalities
• Ethiopian Airlines Marks Historic Boeing Purchase at Dubai Airshow
• NEOM Airlines: Taking Flight to a Sustainable Future in Saudi Arabia’s Futuristic City
• Air India Welcomes First Airbus A350
• Aviation for Aviators is on Instagram again!