Neerja Bhanot: The World's Bravest Flight Attendant in History

In 1985, Neerja Bhanot began working as a flight attendant for Pan Am. She had previously worked as a model and continued to do so during her time at Pan Am.

The airline had determined that they desired Indian flight attendants on flights between Frankfurt and Indian locations. Neerja was promoted rapidly to the position of flight purser.

The Day Of The Attack

On that terrible day of September 5, 1986, Neerja was senior flight purser. Flight 73 was traveling from Bombay to the United States via Karachi and Frankfurt. The 'Clipper of the Seas' had 379 passengers and crew onboard. At 6:00 a.m., terrorists boarded the airplane at Karachi Jinnah Airport and hijacked it.

Neerja was able to enter the emergency code on the flight deck, allowing them to exit the aircraft through the cockpit hatch. This rendered the airplane immobile during the hijacking.

She Took Charge

As required by her position, Neerja assumed control of the situation within the airplane and maintained her and her team's composure despite the gravity of the situation.

The terrorists belonged to the Abu Nidal Organization and intended to fly the plane to Cyprus in order to free Palestinian captives confined there. Targeting American passengers, they dragged one Indian-American passenger to the aircraft's departure, shot him, and then threw his body overboard.

Hiding The Passports

After four hours, the terrorists requested that Neerja gather everyone's passports so that they could identify the American passengers. She and her team hid the American passports under seats and in a waste bin to prevent them from being spotted, so saving the lives of everybody on board. She continued to smile, provide passengers food and drink, and soothe them during the hijacking.

Stand-off

After 17 hours, the attackers opened fire and detonated explosives inside the cabin. The flight attendants were often paraded and kept at gunpoint, especially when the terrorists wanted to know what was happening outside the plane.

Eventually, Neerja was able to open a door so that people could use the emergency slide to escape. She could have saved herself by evacuating the flight, but she chose to assist her fellow passengers instead.

She then turned to help three children down the slide whilst trying to avoid the bullet fire.  Tragically, when the terrorists noticed her helping people escape, they grabbed her by the hair and shot her in the head. Two days prior to her 23rd birthday, she became one of twenty fatalities.

The 365 passengers and crew aboard Pan Am 73 represented 14 different nations. Citizens of India accounted for approximately 27% of the passengers and 24% of the fatalities. Citizens of three nations — India, Italy, and the United Kingdom — accounted for the majority (71%) of those slain.

The Arrest Of The Hijackers

Pakistan swiftly dispatched Special Services Group (SSG) commandos and placed Pakistan Rangers on high alert.

The 17-hour hijack ended when the hijackers opened fire on the passengers at 21:30 Pakistan Standard Time, but quickly ran out of ammunition, causing some passengers to evacuate through the aircraft's emergency doors.

In response, the SSG stormed the plane and apprehended the hijackers.

Awards And Recognitions

Posthumously, Neerja received three awards from India, Pakistan, and the United States for her heroism and bravery. She received the Ashoka Chakra Award for valor in India, where she became the youngest person and the first woman ever to earn it.

The Indian Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp in her honor in 2004. In 2016, a film about her and the hijacking was produced. Interestingly, one of the child survivors from that trip went on to become a pilot, inspired by Neerja's actions on that day.