Multilateral Conventions for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure and Interference with Aircraft Part I: The Hague Convention
![handle is hein.journals/cjtl13 and id is 389 raw text is: Multilateral Conventions for the
Suppression of Unlawful Seizure
and Interference with Aircraft
Part 1: The Hague Convention
ABRAHAM ABRAMiOVSKY*
I. INTRODUCTION
In recent years, unlawful seizure of aircraft, and its counterpart,
unlawful interference with aircraft, have constituted grave perils to
international civil aviation. Between January 1961 and August 1973,
approximately 343 successful and unsuccessful hijackings have occurred
throughout the world.1 While United States aircraft have been those
most often victimized,2 aircraft registered to sixty other nations, have
also been seized.3
Although aircraft hijacking reached its peak in the late 1960's
and early 1970's,4 the first reported incident occurred in 1930 when
a band of Peruvian revolutionaries seized a Peruvian aircraft and
attempted to shower their country with propaganda leaflets advocating
their cause.5 The first reported hijackings forming a political and
regional pattern occurred in the 1940's and 50's when individuals from
Eastern European countries attempted to flee to the West in quest
of political freedom. This pattern was reversed in the late 1960's and
70's when most of the reported hijackings originated in the West, with
Cuba and the Arabian countries as preferred destinations.7
* Member, New York Bar.
This article was written in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the de-
gree of Doctor of the Science of Law in the Faculty of Law, Columbia University.
The author would like to extend his appreciation to the Chairman of his J.S.D.
committee, Professor Oliver J. Lissitzyn, and to Professors Louis Henkin and Hans
Smit for their advice and encouragement.
1. For a statistical survey of recently reported hijackings, see A. E. Evans, Air-
craft Hijacking: What is Being Done, 67 Am. J. INT'L L. 641, 643 (1973).
2. Id. at 642.
3. Id. at 643.
4. See note 1 supra; see also J. AREY, Tim SKY PmATEs, Appendix A, 315-54
(1972) [hereinafter cited as AREY].
5. AREY, at 315.
6. Id.
7. Id. at 315-54. For a survey of recently reported hijackings of American air-
craft, see S. Rep. No. 93-13, 93d Cong., 1st Sess., at 45-50 (1973).](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/cjtl13&div=25&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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Multilateral Conventions for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure and Interference with Aircraft Part I: The Hague Convention
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