Narrative:Sudan Airways Flight 150 was hijacked shortly after departure from Khartoum. Seven Iraqis, some claiming to have explosives, demanded to be taken to England. The plane was low on fuel, however, and landed shortly before midnight in Larnaca, Cyprus, for refueling. The hijackers refused to release any hostages and threatened to blow up the plane unless they were allowed to leave for England. The hijacked plane departed Larnaca at approximately 01:50 a.m. and touched down at Stansted Airport at 04:30 local time.
The hijackers demanded to speak with a representative from the Iraqi Community Association, a social welfare organization which deals with Iraqi refugees. The hijackers also permitted most hostages to be released in small groups. Approximately five hours after landing at Stansted, the hijackers peacefully surrendered. They were found to carry knives and fake explosive devices. None of the passengers or crew were injured during the ordeal.
The hijackers, some of whom had family members on the plane, were seeking political asylum for themselves and their families. The hijackers were arrested and will stand trial in England. In addition, Sudanese authorities arrested four employees of travel agencies for assisting the Iraqi hijackers.
Classification:
Hijack
Sources:
» Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation 1996 / FAA, Office of Civil Aviation Security
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Khartoum-Civil Airport to Amman-Queen Alia International Airport as the crow flies is 1817 km (1136 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.