Narrative:While en route the hijackers took pistols out of a candy box and demanded to be flown to Havana, Cuba, so they could present an appeal to the Nonaligned Movement Summit Conference for help In securing the return of Musa al-Sadr, a Lebanese-Iranian philosopher and Shi'a religious leader, who disappeared while on a trip to Libya in August, 1978.
They landed in Rome where after several hours of negotiation the passengers were released, a message to the conference was given to Italian officials, and the aircraft flew to Tehran, Iran. In Tehran, Iranian authorities agreed to read the hijackers' reasons for the hijacking over national radio and television and the hijackers surrendered.
Classification:
Hijack
Sources:
» L'Unità 8-9-1979
» L'Unità 9-9-1979
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 Beirut International Airport to Roma-Fiumicino Airport as the crow flies is 2202 km (1376 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.