8. Air France Flight 8969
On December 24th, 1994, an Air France flight was hijacked at Houari Boumedienne Airport in Algeria by members of the Armed Islamic Group. The four armed men boarded the plane wearing uniforms similar to those of presidential police. The men soon revealed that they were not police but mujahideen that were fighting to establish and Islamic state in Algeria.
The terrorists demanded the release of two Islamic Salvation Front leaders who were under arrest in Algeria. Meanwhile, the French were preparing their special forces for a raid on the plane despite the fact that Algeria told them French forces were not welcome. The terrorists learned of an Algerian police officer on the plane and shot him dead at the boarding stairs. When the Algerians refused to give into their demands they shot another passenger. The next day the cabin remained calm as the hijackers released several passengers, namely women and children.
By that evening the hijackers took two French passengers and told the Algerians to allow the plane to take off or they would kill them. The French demanded the plane be allowed to take off. The Algerians refused and one of the French passengers was killed. The French demanded that the plane be allowed to take off or Algeria would be held responsible for the outcome. The plane took off and landed in Marseille for refueling.
It was then the French learned that the terrorists planned to crash the plane in Paris. So they sent their GIGN operatives to the plane in disguise as aircraft servicemen. After observing the situation, they created a plan. They waited until nightfall, stalling the hijackers as long as possible while they waited for fuel. It wasn’t until the hijackers began threatening passengers and firing at the control tower, that the French special forces moved in. A firefight ensued. All of the remaining passengers and crew survived, though several passengers, crew and operatives were injured. All hijackers were killed.