This was the reason why all crews operating in and out from Algeria were made aware, through NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen), of the risks of flying there and where being shot at low altitude was a possibility to take into consideration. The flight was due to depart at 11:15. All the women on board were obliged to cover themselves with hijabs (the veil) as part of Islamic tradition. Air France Flight 8969 was an Air France flight that was hijacked on 24 December 1994 by the Armed Islamic Group of… Flight 8969 Hijacking - GIGN Raid. Whilst the storming of AF8969 was a resounding success, many of those who have seen video footage of the GIGN’s initial entry to the aircraft will be aware that the stairs did not connect with the aircraft at the correct height which resulted in a slight delay and left one of the GIGN members dangling as the stairs had to be pushed back to facilitate the door opening. The terrorists boarded the plane disguised as security agents. As well as being physically prepared, they were mentally prepared; their mission was (and is) to save the lives of others. Report. They also placed listening devices on the plane chassis. The hijacking of Air France Flight 8969 in December 1994. The flight was scheduled for December 24, 1994, at 1105 a.m. local time. They arrived in Palma de Mallorca late at night on 24 December, on board an A300 similar to the hijacked one, so that they had the possibility to familiarise themselves with the aircraft. Finally, on December 26, 1994, the plane left Algeria and headed for France. Air France Flight 8969 was an Air France flight that was hijacked on 24 December 1994 by the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) at Algiers, where they killed three passengers, with the intention to blow up the plane over the Eiffel Tower in Paris.When the aircraft reached Marseille, the GIGN, an intervention group of the French Gendarmerie, stormed the plane and killed all four hijackers. Terrorists barricaded themselves, and the first thing they did was murder two passengers. Moments later, Air France flight 8969 was hijacked. Daniela Tardo works as a ground operations member for the second largest airline in Italy, based at Milan Malpensa Airport. Amazingly they were both unarmed, even though the cockpit was full of bullet holes. The cockpit is the fulcrum of most hijackings, where the perpetrators, apart from having the obvious access to flight controls, can also establish contact with air traffic control personnel and/or negotiators. In total, three passengers were executed while the 173 people were saved. The seizure of aircraft, especially of national flag carriers, has long been viewed as an attack against the state in which they are registered. Air France flight 8969 hijacking. One of the traditions requires that, after having put on a bulletproof vest, each member must shoot his/her partner! As they took their time, GIGN started planning the daring raid. The hijackers’ leader, Abdul Abdullah Yahia, immediately ordered his men to place two blocks of dynamite on the plane and take control of the aircraft’s doors and stand guard while he moved to the cockpit. Groupe Islamique Armé, or GIA Airbus A300 aircraft Paris 2 sticks of 10 dynamite packs Claude Burgniard The French From the descriptions the freed hostages gave, the Algerian intelligence services quickly identified the terrorists, including their leader Abdul Abdullah Yahia. This article is dedicated to all passengers and crew of the AF8969 flight and to all GIGN operatives and their families. Captain Bernard Delhemme, supported by First Officer Jean-Paul Borderie and Flight Engineer Alain Bossuat were completing their departure checks when four men boarded the aircraft, following the last of the embarking passengers, informing the cabin crew that they were Algerian Presidential policemen and were boarding to perform a passport control inspection of all the passengers on board. Shortly before takeoff, four terrorists disguised as Algerian presidential police, with blue uniforms with Air Algerie logos, boarded the plane. Massimo Catusi recently joined Milan Bergamo airport operator SACBO as a safety specialist. Upon seeing the GIS operators gathering outside the plane, one of the terrorists shouted “taghut,” an Arabic word for “infidel.” Immediately, the crew onboard knew those guys were terrorists. Only 15 minutes later, the French government was notified about the hijacking through their own intelligence channels. The firefight continued for several minutes, and suddenly the shooting stopped, and over the radio, the pilot told that all the terrorists were dead. Labeled Air France Flight 8969, this plane would travel with 236 passengers and crew from Algiers to Paris. Air traffic controllers in the tower secretly communicated to the crew of Flight 8969 to tell the hijackers that they didn't have enough fuel to make it all the way to Paris." The hijackers did not know that Major Denis Favier's GIGN squad was already in Marseille, having arrived from Majorca to a military base near Marseille, and planned to storm the aircraft while it was in Marseille. The pilot was eventually ordered to fly the plane to Marseilles, France and the … Le vol Alger-Marseille : journal d'otages, 2006: back cover (On 24th December, 1994, an Air France Airbus was hijacked in Algiers by Islamist commandos.) The flight was scheduled for December 24, 1994, at 1105 a.m. local time. The Major reported that their assault of the plane was even quicker from their perspective, as they immediately stormed the aircraft after its arrival on stand, connecting passenger stairs at the forward right-hand door (R1). Air France Flight 8969 Label from public data source Wikidata; Air France Flight 8969 Hijacking Incident (1994) Sources. Air France Flight 8969 hijacking and perfect GIGN raid. French special forces storming the hijacked Air France plane on Dec. 24, 1994. Passengers board Air France Flight 8969 in Algeria for what should have been a somewhat routine flight, aside from the nation being a hotbed for terrorist activity at the time. They never again attempted this plot. After the door had been, the GIGN using offensive smoke grenades and armed with Glock 9mm and Heckler & Koch MP5 weapons, stormed the aircraft and the battle began. Captain Delhemme, unwillingly, was obliged to be an active participant in the radio communication due to the poor knowledge of French by Yahia. But what country would sanction interference of its sovereignty by allowing another nation’s military forces to solve a crisis active on its territory? The day after the hijacking, the terrorists wanted to take off and fly to Paris. How can the authorities deal with the hijackers and save all passengers on-board? ผู้ก่อการร้ายคนหนึ่งได้เอาผู้โดยสารมาหนึ่งคน และ ยิงเขาที่หอควบคุม The hostage drama began on Christmas Eve as Air France Flight 8969 prepared for a scheduled 11:15 a.m. departure for Paris. Indeed, the GIGN deployed to Spain were immediately recalled to Marseille before the departure of the hijacked aircraft from Algiers. Directed by Tim Wolochatiuk. But continue they did. Emerita Aaron. The news of the hijacking immediately reached Paris and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alain Juppé, immediately convened a crisis room awaiting the arrival of the Prime Minister, Edouard Balladur, who was already away on Christmas leave. The co-pilot had jumped out one of the cockpit windows when the attack had started. Air France Flight 8969. Incredible footage of the GIGN raid of the hijacked Air France Flight 8969 in … (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); I'm the active duty law enforcement officer serving in SWAT unit. In fact, following the hijackers request to fly to Paris, Abderrahmane Cherif’s delayed response resulted in the killing of another passenger – Bui Giang To, an attaché at the Embassy of Vietnam in Algeria – and the issuance of a threat to detonate the dynamite if their requests kept being denied. The situation became increasingly unstable as Abderrahmane Cherif showed zero flexibility, denying all requests made by the hijackers without appreciating the possible outcomes caused by his behaviour. For the majority such an action was unimaginable before the 2001 attacks, but for those in the security services it was something very much contemplated from 1994 onwards. Air France Flight 8969 was an Air France flight that was hijacked on 24 December 1994 by the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) at Houari Boumedienne Airport, Algiers, Algeria, where the terrorists murdered three passengers, with the intention to blow up the plane over the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Dec 24 2015. This episode tells the story of Air France Flight 8969 which was an Air France flight that was hijacked on December 24, 1994 at Houari Boumedienne Airport in Algiers by four armed men dressed as Algerian policemen. [1] 21 years ago today, Air France Flight #AF8969 (F-GBEC) was hijacked by four Armed Islamic Group (GIA) terrorists at Houari Boumedienne Airport, Algiers, Algeria. France was, in one word, an infidel. The other two teams went into the aircraft through the aircraft’s rear doors. But, in 1994, we had maybe the first real attempt to use a civilian airliner to target the national symbol of a country – the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The Assault (French Title: L'Assaut) is a 2010 drama film about the 1994 hijacking of Air France Flight 8969 and the operation mounted by the Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN) to rescue the hostages before the terrorists can use the plane in a suicide attack. Major C. remembers that when they saw the first officer jumping out of the plane from the cockpit, they initially thought he was one of the hijackers. Operators from the Algerian Special Intervention Group (GIS) were present at the scene. Seeing the aircraft stationary at the parking stand after its scheduled departure time, the GIS surrounded the aircraft. The official negotiations continued for hours, and the terrorist got impatient and wanted to take off again and leave Marseilles. Marseille was both reachable without refuelling and far enough away from the capital, whilst also easily reached by the GIGN. Enter your email address and we'll send you a link you can use to pick a new password. In the assault carried by GIGN, three of four terrorists were shot and killed by the Manurhin MR 73 revolver. Air France Flight 8969 has been hijacked. The part of the GIGN raid during the operation of the overtaking hijacked Air France flight 8969 was directly broadcasted on national TV. HISTORY In 1994, Air France Flight 8969 was hijacked by the GIA at Algiers Airport. Browse more videos. The stairs had been connected higher than expected because they had just been rehearsing their entry using the empty A300; the hijacked aircraft was laden with passengers, baggage and cargo and was, therefore, sitting lower. Accident AirFrance Flight 8969 F-GBEC - Aviation website for aircraft and airline information (flight, photo, travel, fleet listing, production list of Airbus Boeing Douglas Embraer Dash, ATR, Sukhoi, Saab...), plane photos, flightlog database, aviation news, civil aviation forum, aviation store. On board was 220 passengers and 12 crew and was inbound to Paris. At 1717 hours, three eight-man teams went into action. Air-France Flight 8969 hijacking appeared to foreshadow The 9/11. On the same day, the plane carrying the GIGN operators was already in the air headed for Algeria but was ordered to turn around and head for Marseilles. As a result of the damage to the aircraft, the A300 was written off. That claim comes from the former leader of the militant group. 1994 was the third year of the civil war in Algeria, where some Islamic rebel groups, including the Islamic Salvation Front, also known as the ‘FIS’, and the GIA, were fighting against the Algerian government with their main purpose being the establishment of an Islamic state in Algeria. We were welcomed by Marechal Y., Senior LT K. and Lieutenant P. After quick introductions and cup of coffee, we gathered in one of the meeting rooms called ‘Marignane’ (being the location of Marseille airport and named as a tribute to this event), where we were introduced to the history and traditions of the GIGN, from its constitution in 1974, reorganisation in 2001 and the ‘new era’ from 2007 with new targets and a consolidated structures. The first team went through the front door, and the first six operators that went into the aircraft were injured. Using three mobile ramps, they approached the aircraft but were spotted by the terrorist who opened fire. Most of the 227 passengers had settled into their seats in an almost festive mood, as they looked forward to joining family and friends for the holidays. Your email address will not be published. Just as the fake fire is brought successfully Adam Jasper AIR FRANCE 8969On the 26 December 1994, three days into a hostage siege, a special unit from the gendarmerie attempted to storm Air France Flight 8969, an Airbus holding four heavily armed terrorists and nearly 200 passengers and crew, trapped on a runway at Marseille. If you work in the aviation industry or are passionate about aviation security, you will surely remember this incident from security courses as it still regarded as one of the top case studies illustrating intervention by Special Forces. Your email address will not be published. All the hijackers were killed in a raid by the GIGN. S’engager pour la vie. It was the first assumed attempt to use the hijacked aircraft itself, loaded with fuel, as a mega aerial bomb and it occurred almost at the same time when Bojinka Plot was foiled in the other side of the world – in the Philippines. After four hours of negotiations, the notorious GIA cell members agreed to release some of the hostages. Further investigation of the incident led the investigator to conclude that the terrorists had planned to detonate the aircraft over the Eiffel Tower. This was seven years before 9/11, but the idea of using hijacked aircraft as weapons of mass destruction, targeting population centres and iconic buildings, was at the forefront of the minds of those following extremist ideologies. There is a tradition in GIGN that gives one a thorough understanding and meaning of the words ‘group’ and ‘loyalty’. The 4 men appeared normal, their blue attire that of the Algerian Presidential police with Air Algirie logos inscribed. This is the story of one of the greatest and quickest interventions ever made by Special Forces. They seemed determined, well planned, and very cold-blooded. The two remaining hostages were evacuated from the aircraft. GIGN snipers positioned on the surrounding airport buildings’ roofs were ordered to open fire on the remaining terrorists in the cockpit. Nearly nine hours into the hijacking and hostage crisis, the French government ordered GIGN to move. As with any mission, there are lessons to be learned and opportunities to be able to enhance procedures for the future; this intervention was no exception. The crew of the A300 and the GIGN forces received high national honors. The sentimental action attempted by the authorities backfired; another passenger became the victim of the hijackers’ rage – Yannick Beugnet, a French chef who was working at the embassy in Algiers was executed. The aircraft approached Marseille during the morning of 26 December. Over 1500 rounds had been fired, while four hijackers were killed. Before the planned takeoff, the plane was hijacked by four terrorists from the Algerian terrorist group GIA (Islamic Armed Group). Peaceful end to hijacking of EgyptAir Flight MS181, hijacker in custody. Simultaneously, the Algerian military felt suspicious of noticing that the Air France flight 8969 appeared to have an unauthorized delay, so they began surrounding the aircraft. Air France Flight 8969 was an Air France flight that was hijacked on 24 December 1994 by the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria (GIA) at Houari Boumediene Airport, Algiers, Algeria.The terrorists murdered three passengers and their intention was to blow up the plane over the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The French government couldn’t persuade the Algerian government to accept help from the GIGN. They examined the plane for possible entry points and did the basic check for booby traps. At first, other people on board didn’t suspect that the alleged security agents got onto the plane and regularly started to check passports. However, the hijacking also showed the world the commitment and preparation of the GIGN. During the visit to the training centre, we were taken to the ‘airplane cabin reconstruction’ facility where, thanks to a partnership still active with Air France, GIGN has recreated a perfect section of a passenger cabin in which they can train for aviation hijacking interventions. 1:45. Meanwhile, in Algiers, the Minister of Interior, Abderrahmane Cherif, was trying to negotiate the release of women and children, yet rejecting any request made by Yahia. December 2019 marks the 25th anniversary of the Air France flight 8969 hijacking, perpetrated by four members of … 35 GIGN operators took off from Paris to fly to Palma De Mallorca in Spain to wait for further orders. Air France Flight 8969 Hijacking (GIGN Raid) 17 Oct 2011 | Posted by Member 26835147. The Algerian Prime Minister, Mokdad Sifi, denied authorising the GIGN to enter Algeria, hence the need for France to think quickly about a new option, knowing that it was now impossible to intervene directly whilst the aircraft was on the ground in Algiers. found: Work cat. Having described the circumstances, we can now review the rest of the incident from the perspective of the GIGN. When Air France Flight 8969 landed in Marseille, the negotiators immediately started negotiations with the terrorists. I am sure that most readers will have seen the real-time video of the intervention. During the standoff with the terrorists in the cockpit, and almost four minutes from the beginning of the action, all the hostages were evacuated except for the pilot and the steward who were still in the cockpit. Marechal Y. and Senior LT K. informed us that they had organised a 30-minute meeting for us with Major C., one of the last two member of the assault team still in service. Directed by Julien Leclercq, The Assault was made with the collaboration and advice of the GIGN. The two terrorists continued to exchange fire. : Kakachi, Z. In December 1994, the French counter-terrorism unit, National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (G.I.G.N. A GIGN operator threw a flash-bang grenade through a cockpit window, but the grenade didn’t have much effect on the terrorists. The Marignane event, in its complexity, provides the first indication of the mindset which had developed to target national symbols using civilian airliners. The request made by the GIA members was to release Abbassi Madani and Ali Belhadj, two members of the FIS who had been under arrest by the Algerian government since 1992. Suddenly, they pulled out their Uzi’s and AK-47 assault rifles. He was shot dead on the steps of the aircraft. Required fields are marked *. Browse more videos. The quickest way to resolve the stand-off would be to immediately deploy French military to Algiers. On December 24th, 1994; the GIA (an Algerian extremist group) hijacked Air France Flight 8969 while it was docked at Houari Boumediene Airport. Air France Flight 8969 was a regular flight en route to Orly Airport, Paris, from Houari Boumedienne Airport in Algeria with 236 occupants (including passengers, crew, and hijackers). With Sean Pertwee, Jean Paul Borderie, Claude Burgniard, Yasmina. BNO News. Playing next. However, after having caught sight of the GIS, the four armed ‘policemen’ immediately revealed their true identities and officially took control of the airplane: the A300 had been commandeered. On their return flight, the GIGN were again able to practice in the passenger cabin and tried to study as many features and parts of the A300 as they could. But this unexpected challenge only further demonstrated the commitment and preparation of the GIGN members to manage dynamic situations and they successfully stormed the aircraft despite the two-metre gap between the bumper of the stairs and the aircraft’s door. Their presence originally did not cause any alarm. This is the story of a group of soldiers, members of an elite unit called GIGN, who saved more than 200 civilians during one of the scariest hijackings from the pre-9/11 era. Once a member of the unit finishes their training, which takes approximately 12 months, s/he receives their own personal gun, which serves them forever. The heavy firefight occurred, but after only 90 seconds, the first hostages were evacuated alongside the wounded operators. However, suspicions began to grow amongst the crew when a flight attendant, Claude Burgnard, noticed that the policemen were armed; she thought it was unusual as the Algerian police officers were not normally carrying weapons while carrying out such checks. During Christmas Day, the hijackers were finally convinced to release some of the passengers – mainly women and children. The control tower, along with the Algerian military, called the Algerian Special Intervention Group (GIS) when they did not receive any departure clearance request from the aircraft, nor any delay information. The tension in the air was as thick on the tarmac of the Marseilles Provence Airport. On 24 December 1994, the Airbus 300B2-1C F-GBEC was almost ready to depart from Houari Boumedienne Airport in Algiers for Orly Airport, Paris, operating as AF8969. “…women who did not have a hijab used aircraft blankets as head coverings…”. The hijackers killed 3 hostages. 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