Incident Overview

Date: Sunday 15 August 1993
Aircraft Type: Boeing 737-406
Owner/operator: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Registration Number: PH-BDS
Location: Dsseldorf Airport (DUS) – ÿ Germany
Phase of Flight: En route
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 143
Component Affected: AircraftAircraft
Category: Unlawful Interference
On August 16, 1993, a KLM Flight 110, a 40-year-old Egyptian male hijacked from Tunis (TUN), Netherlands, to Amsterdam (AMS), was intercepted in Dsseldorf, Germany. The hijacker demanded to be flown to New York City, seeking to free imprisoned Egyptian cleric Shaykh Omar Abdel Rahman. He also demanded the United Nations enforce sanctions against Serbia in the Balkan conflict. The plane landed at Dsseldorf, ostensibly for refueling, and the hijacker set a deadline for Shaykh’s release and threatened to blow up the aircraft.On August 16, 1993, a KLM Flight 110, a 40-year-old Egyptian male hijacked from Tunis (TUN), Netherlands, to Amsterdam (AMS), was intercepted in Dsseldorf, Germany. The hijacker demanded to be flown to New York City, seeking to free imprisoned Egyptian cleric Shaykh Omar Abdel Rahman. He also demanded the United Nations enforce sanctions against Serbia in the Balkan conflict. The plane landed at Dsseldorf, ostensibly for refueling, and the hijacker set a deadline for Shaykh’s release and threatened to blow up the aircraft.

Description

A 40-year old Egyptian male hijacked KLM Flight 110 during a flight from Tunis (TUN), Tunisia, to Amsterdam (AMS), the Netherlands . The hijacker claimed to have an explosive device and demanded to be flown to New York City . He apparently was seeking to force the release of the jailed Egyptian cleric, Shaykh Omar Abdel Rahman, who was in custody charged with immigration-related violations. Several of the Shaykh’s followers have been charged in the February 1993, World Trade Center bombing in New York City. Another of the hijacker’s demands was for the United Nations to enforce sanctions against Serbia in the Balkan conflict. The plane landed at the airport in Dsseldorf, Germany, during midafternoon ostensibly to be refueled. The hijacker released everyone on board except two crew members and began to negotiate with the authorities. He set a deadline for the release of the Shaykh and threatened to blow up the airplane if his demands were not met. The incident ended at approximately 02:00 am, on August 16, nearly 10 hours after the plane landed in Dsseldorf. Members of the German counter terrorist unit, GSG-9, stormed the aircraft and arrested the hijacker without incident. There were no injuries. No weapons or explosives were found on the hijacker or on board the aircraft. The hijacker acted alone.

Primary Cause

Hijacking of a commercial aircraft.Hijacking of a commercial aircraft.

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