Afriqiyah Airways Flight 209

Afriqiyah Airways

Company type	National carrier
Industry	Aviation
Headquarters	Tripoli , Libya
Products	Passenger air transport

Afriqiyah Airways Flight 209 was a domestic Libyan passenger service traveling from Sabha to Tripoli, Libya that became the target of a hijacking on 23 December 2016, resulting in an unscheduled landing at Luqa, Malta. This flight, operated by Libya’s national carrier, Afriqiyah Airways, was carrying a total of 111 individuals: 82 men, 28 women, and one infant. The two hijackers eventually freed all passengers and surrendered.

Aircraft

The plane involved was an Airbus A320-214 bearing the registration 5A-ONB and manufacturer’s serial number 3236, equipped with two CFM56 engines.

Hijacking

Carrying seven crew members alongside 111 passengers, the flight took off from Sabha International Airport at 08:10 local time with a planned arrival in Tripoli at 09:20. The hijackers threatened to use hand grenades. One of them, described as a "pro-Gaddafi" supporter, issued demands of undisclosed nature while threatening the crew but assuring the eventual release of passengers. Attempts to divert the aircraft to Libyan airports were rejected by the hijackers. Consequently, the aircraft was compelled to land at Malta International Airport at 11:32 am. Although surrounded by Maltese military forces, the engines remained active. At one point, a hijacker briefly displayed a green flag similar to the Libyan flag under Gaddafi before retreating inside.

Response

Negotiators were put on alert and units from the Maltese military arrived promptly at the scene. Upon touchdown, the hijackers—identified as Suhah Mussa and Ahmed Ali—had already released at least 25 passengers. They later surrendered to Maltese officials and were taken into custody. The weapons they carried were subsequently determined to be counterfeit.

Aftermath

On 2 December 2020, Suhah Mussa received a sentence of 25 years imprisonment along with a €9,990 fine after entering a guilty plea.

Film

Coincidentally, filming for the movie Entebbe, which depicts the 1976 hijacking of Air France Flight 139 and Operation Entebbe, was underway at Malta airport on the day of the incident. Footage showing actual hostages disembarking from the Afriqiyah aircraft was captured and incorporated into the film. Producer Melvin Rotherberg described this occurrence as a "blessing from the sky on a day of bad acting." Several passengers were also recruited as extras in the production.

See also

• List of aircraft hijackings
• EgyptAir Flight 181

External links

• News article covering the hijacking (in Maltese). Archived