Executive's Guide to Personal Security, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 8Hijacking and Hostage Survival

HIJACKING

We gave a great deal of thought about whether to include this chapter in this edition. The original chapter was written just after hijackers brought down the Twin Towers and attacked the Pentagon with planes they commandeered. Since then, the Transportation Security Administration was created, and airport security, while still far from perfect, is much better than it was. Hijacking has become less likely as security has improved. Why then did we decide to include this chapter?

In December 2018, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted the following warning about conditions at Ninoy Aquino Airport in the Philippines:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced the determination that aviation security at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), which serves as a last‐point‐of‐departure airport for flights to the United States, does not maintain and carry out effective security consistent with the security standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This determination was based on assessments by a team of security experts from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).¹

It is clear from that warning that security lapses in some countries can create opportunities for hijackers to exploit. Therefore, we address the topic again in this edition. That being said, the subject of hijacking is perhaps the most difficult on which to provide instruction. The traditional school ...