Nations maintain protocols to down hijacked aircraft as last resort

Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks demonstrated the catastrophic potential of hijacked commercial aircraft, multiple nations have developed and refined protocols to prevent similar incidents. India, the United States, and Israel are among countries that regularly conduct drills and maintain contingency measures to address aircraft hijackings and threats posed by compromised flights.

These protocols represent a significant evolution in aviation security thinking, acknowledging that in extreme circumstances where ground-based negotiations, technical interventions, and standard law enforcement procedures have failed, military intervention may become necessary. The procedures are designed to prevent a hijacked aircraft from being weaponized against civilian or strategic targets.

Governments maintain the authority to authorize military action against an aircraft as an ultimate safeguard measure. This decision would typically come at the highest levels of government and only after exhausting all alternative options to resolve the crisis. Such measures underscore the gravity with which security agencies approach potential aviation-related terrorism threats.

The development of these protocols reflects the changed security landscape of the post-9/11 era, where intelligence agencies and military establishments worldwide have prioritized preventing scenarios where commercial aircraft could be converted into weapons of mass destruction.