Travel and Vacations

Travel Tips: Surviving A Skyjacking

Story Published on September 25, 2008 ⋅  Email this Story ⋅  Print this Story ⋅ Post a comment ⋅

Hijackings for hostages have usually followed a pattern of negotiations between the hijackers and the authorities, followed by some form of settlement (not always the meeting of the hijackers’ original demands) or the storming of the aircraft to rescue the hostages.

Since the nineteen eighties, it is roughly estimated there have been about twenty five skyjackings a year. Source: Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation 1988 and 1989, and other data.

Prior to nine eleven, the policy of most airlines was for the pilot to comply with the demands of hijackers, hoping for a peaceful outcome. But since then, policies have changed in light of technical developments that protect the cockpit from forced entry.

Options for preventing skyjacking now include screening of passengers and luggage to keep weapons off the airplane, putting air marshalls on flights, and equiping the cockpit to keep hijackers out.

Many skyjacking incidents are, in fact, not caused by political terrorists in the conventional sense. Skyjackings are mostly caused by people out of criminal, personal or obscure motives. Some skyjackings have been known to arise from air rage incidents that get out of control.

The aircraft and passengers are of course put at serious risk whatever the reason and motivation of the skyjackers. This is so even if the cockpit is not overtaken during flight. While the hijackers are in control, the safety of passengers and crew is at risk whether or not the aircraft is in flight.

Here are the best ten things you can do to help you survive a skyjacking.

1. Always be aware of your surroundings. Whenever you are in an airport or on an aircraft, take notice of your surroundings. Pay particular attention to activities or situations that do not appear to be normal.

2. Report unusual activity to the authorities. If you see anything aboard an airline or in the airport that looks inappropriate or out of place (such as unusual behavior or potential security violations) inform somebody in authority.

3. Make no assumptions about who could pose a threat. If someone is determined to carry out a violent skyjacking, realize that such a person or persons can be of any gender, age, or nationality. Therefore, do not assume that any particular type of person is likely to do harm simply because of outward appearances.

4. Become as low profile as possible. As soon as it is clear that a skyjacking is in progress, do nothing to draw attention to yourself. Stay quiet and be as invisible as possible. But remain observant in case there is an opportunity for escape, and work as a team with others if the need arises.

5. Keep your seat belt fastened at all times while seated. This provides extra protection in case the plane hits unexpected turbulence of if the aircraft is forced through unusual maneuvers. Seat belt warnings may not be operating.

6. Listen to the flight attendants and watch them. The primary reason flight attendants are on an aircraft is for safety. If there is some kind of emergency or potential emergency situation, look to the flight attendants for guidance and help.

7. Become familiar with your aircraft everytime you travel. When you are first seated, review the written safety instructions. Also count the number of rows to the nearest exits (toward the front or the back of the plane). Study the seatback telephone service if such telephones are available.

8. Use a telephone if safe to do so. In an emergency, such as a skyjacking, use your mobile or the seatback telephone to alert the emergency services on the ground. But only do this if you can make the call without being noticed by the skyjackers. In the European Union the emeregency telephone number is 112. In the USA it is 911.

9. Have a camouflage passport. If your nationality is ‘western’ or if your country, culture, religion, or even the sound of your name could be associated with some kind of war or conflict, then you should consider getting a camouflage passport. You would use the camouflage passport only in the event of a skyjacking, and of course you would hide or destroy your real passport as soon as a skyjacking becomes apparent. Remember to also get rid of other items that may reveal your real identity.

Usually, one of the first acts carried out by skyjackers is to collect everybody’s passports. Having possession of a camouflage passport is legal since it is not a false passport, and has not been used in any criminal offence. To obtain a camouflage passport do a search on internet.

10. Work as a team. If the situation on the aircraft has the potential for danger, it is usually better to share information with crew members and the other passengers and to work together. Individual action, either during a normal emergency or during a hijack or other deliberate threat to the aircraft, is usually much less effective than a coordinated group action.

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