Upamanyu Biswas
In ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack,’ a hijacked Indian Airlines flight is made to stop across several locations before finally landing at Kandahar, Afghanistan. The plane’s initial flight path from Kathmandu, Nepal, to New Delhi, India, is diverted when the hijackers force the pilot, Captain Devi Sharan, to land at Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai, and eventually Kandahar. Meanwhile, the Indian government launches an operation to save the hostages on the Airbus by sending a team of delegates to negotiate with the terrorists. However, in the week it takes to resolve the situation, the plane is witness to all manner of chaos as both passengers and hijackers remain confined in its interiors. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Plane Faced a Series of Challenges During the Hijacking
On December 24, 1999, around 40 minutes after taking off from Kathmandu, Indian Airlines flight 814 was hijacked by a number of terrorists. The men in masks demanded that the plane be flown to Lahore, Pakistan, but it could not be done as permission was not granted by authorities. Eventually, it ran so low on fuel that it had to be landed in Amritsar, Punjab, specifically at the Raja Sansi Airport. When refueling was delayed at Amritsar after orders from the Indian government and a reported mix-up in communication, the plane took off sharply despite being low on fuel. During the landing-to-take-off period in Amritsar, the hijackers attacked a passenger on board because they were frustrated by the delays in refueling.
Eventually, the plane flew over to Lahore, Pakistan, where the Pakistan Air Traffic Control (ATC) switched off the lights on the runway to deny the plane permission to land. Captain Devi Sharan tried to crash-land IC 814 on a nearby highway as the plane was running on fumes. However, it was not required as the Pakistan ATC allowed the plane to land at the airport after witnessing the desperation of the flight crew. After taking off from Lahore, the hijackers wanted the plane to travel to Kabul, Afghanistan. The airport at Kabul did not have night-landing facilities, and as such, the plane had to make another detour to the Al Minhad Air Base, a military installation 15 miles south of Dubai, UAE. There, the hijackers released 27 passengers, along with the body of Rupin Katyal, a 25-year-old who was killed before the plane landed.
After several trials and tribulations, IC 814 finally landed at Kandahar Airport, where the passengers and flight crew waited for the Indian delegation team to come to rescue them. The plane almost became a secondary home to the hostages and hijackers during their long period of confinement. Passengers inside the aircraft had already been segregated between business and economy class. As the nights in Afghanistan were cold during the winter, the plane’s engines were kept running to provide shelter for everyone. There were issues with the toilets on the aircraft as the pipes started clogging, leading to a stink in the seats close to it. Other amenities were also irregularly provided, including drinking water and food, leading to further turmoil.
All in all, the hostages were kept captive inside IC 814 for around eight days while the Indian negotiators tried to broker a deal with the hijackers. The whole situation was resolved on December 31, 1999, after the Indian government facilitated the release of three terrorists – Omar Saeed Sheikh, Masood Azhar, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar – in exchange for the release of the passengers. The plane remained in Kandahar Airport while the released hostages went back home.
The Indian Airlines Airbus 814 Went Back Into Usage
In January 2000, IC 814, which was registered as VT-EDW, was flown back to India, where it was repaired and serviced to remove the blemishes from the harrowing events it had been privy to. The flight went back into operation a few days later, as it was spotted making trips once again. However, flights to Kathmandu, Nepal were scrapped after the incident as the Indian government was unconvinced by the lack of security that had led to the hijacking during the crisis. After five months of suspension, on June 1, 2000, trips to Kathmandu were resumed. The airline flight number, IC 814, was not changed until much later when the IC code was retired after the merger between Indian Airlines and Air India.
The Plane Was Eventually Discarded
Even before the hijacking, IC 814 was an old Airbus that was certain to be replaced in the long run. It had been in operation since the 1970s and was slowly creeping towards 30 years on the job. In 2002, the flight was finally withdrawn from use by the Indian Airlines. It was taken to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, Maharashtra, where it was scrapped in December 2003. The plane had seen its fair share of action throughout the years, including the terrifying crisis that took place inside it during the 1999 hijack, making its legacy an enduring one despite its destruction.
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