The Dawson's Field hijackings precipitated Jordan's Black September crisis and reshaped international aviation security protocols.
Key Facts
- Aircraft hijacked
- 5 airliners targeted (4 to New York, 1 to London)
- Hostages taken
- 310 total; 56 Jewish passengers held separately
- Planes destroyed
- 3 aircraft blown up at Dawson's Field on 12 September 1970
- Hijacker killed
- Patrick Argüello shot dead during foiled El Al hijacking
- Final hostage release
- 30 September 1970, exchanged for Leila Khaled and 3 PFLP prisoners
- Jordanian response
- Martial law declared 16 September; Black September war 17–27 September
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine sought to pressure Western governments to release imprisoned PFLP members and draw global attention to the Palestinian cause. The group exploited the relative openness of international air travel in 1970, selecting high-profile transatlantic flights operated by TWA, Swissair, El Al, Pan Am, and BOAC as targets.
On 6 September 1970, PFLP operatives simultaneously hijacked four aircraft bound for New York and one for London. Three planes were forced to land at Dawson's Field in Jordan, while Pan Am Flight 93 was diverted to Cairo. A fifth aircraft, BOAC Flight 775, was seized on 9 September. Some 310 hostages were held; Jewish passengers were segregated. The PFLP destroyed the three grounded aircraft with explosives on 12 September.
The hostage crisis exposed the Palestinian militant presence within Jordan as a direct challenge to King Hussein's authority. He declared martial law on 16 September and launched a military offensive against Palestinian-controlled areas, triggering the Black September conflict that nearly drew in Syria, Iraq, and Israel. A negotiated deal on 30 September freed the remaining hostages in exchange for Leila Khaled and three PFLP prisoners held in Switzerland.