Idris Elba is a slick operator in the new thriller The Hijack. Elba drama, Theft. “As entertainment it’s great, I really like it,” he says. “However, the level of absurdity of the plot is as high as the height at which it flies.”
The seven-episode series, now airing weekly on Apple TV+, stars Idris Elba as Sam Nelson, a tough corporate deal-maker. Caught in a Dubai-to-London hijacking, Sam puts his cutting-edge skills to bear by negotiating with the hijackers and playing mind games.
The series has a certain amount of realism. The production built a scale replica of the aircraft, and the sequences play out in real time over the course of a seven-hour flight. Sam, Walker explains, demonstrates the calm, collected, and trust-based approach used in actual hostage negotiations. Although he also violates the “golden rule” of hostage negotiations. “Never negotiate for yourself,” Walker says. “Leave it to the professionals outside!” But this, of course, is the essence of Hijack. It takes a few episodes for someone on the ground to figure out what's going on, so Idris has to spin around in the negotiations. As Walker says: “Otherwise it would be a pretty lousy show!”
Walker definitely knows what he's talking about. He spent 16 years as a Scotland Yard detective working in counter-terrorism and kidnapping operations and as a kidnapping-for-ransom negotiator for a crisis response organization. He has helped solve over 300 cases, including the Somali hijacking and the Egyptair hijacking in 2016. Walker wrote about negotiation and communication in the book Order Out of Chaos.
The fifth episode of Hijack is now available, and Walker and aviation security experts explain how realistic the show has been so far.
Are there weapons on the plane?
In the series, the hijackers – led by Neil Maskell's Stuart Utterton – carry weapons aboard through a laundry bag. It seems unlikely – at least to the occasional passenger – that anyone could actually get a gun on a flight in 2023, when airports are under strict security. But could they? “Probably not,” says David Henson, aviation security consultant and former SO18 officer at Heathrow Airport.
But it's not unusual for weapons to be found at airports. Last week, the Transportation Security Administration reported that 3,251 firearms were stopped at U.S. airport security checkpoints in the first six months of 2023 (although this has more to do with legitimate gun owners not packing their guns into checked baggage than with terrorist threats).
Philip Baum, an expert in aviation security and hijacking management, is now more concerned with improvised explosive devices or chemical and biological agents. “They are harder to detect than dense metal objects such as guns, grenades and knives,” he says.
Baum, Managing Director of Security Specialists at Green Light, is also a proponent of aviation security behavioral analysis training – risk-based profiling through special interview and observation techniques. “We advocate for everyone involved in aviation security to actively engage in behavioral analysis,” says Baum. “Whether they work at a security checkpoint, as an agent at the entrance, or as a flight attendant.” Instead of waiting for passengers to land before conducting the most stringent customs and immigration checks, he argues, behavioral analysis identifies potentially threatening or disturbing passengers before they board.
Hack Credit: Aidan Monaghan The inside threat is real
The show's hijackers are too easy to carry guns on board, but the method has a real basis in the compromise of Nyla's airport security officer (Antonia Salib) with threats to her family. “Ask airport managers what keeps them awake at night and they'll tell you it's an insider threat,” says Baum.
In 2015, the alleged bombing of Metrojet Flight 9268 — a mid-air explosion that killed 224 people — was linked to a mechanic and police officers at Sharm el-Sheikh airport who may have helped bring the explosives on board the plane. The official cause of Metrojet Flight 9268 has never been established, although David Henson cites the incident as an example. He agrees that insiders, such as employees with access to a controlled area, pose a security risk. “The aviation world is well aware of the risk employees pose,” he says. “In any system, the only point of failure is usually people. Mitigation measures are in place for personnel becoming a problem.”
Cockpit break-ins
Hijack hijackers have done their homework. They discover that pilot Captain Allen (Ben Miles) is having an affair with a flight attendant (Kate Phillips). Putting a gun to her head, the hijackers force Allen to open the flight deck door.
Mohamed Elsandel as one of the hijackers in the Apple TV series. Photo: Aidan Monaghan
It is true that the captain controls the door and it must remain locked. Henson does not believe that the captain will actually open the door during the hijacking. “9/11 changed everything,” he says. “I can’t imagine that the pilot – even that was his girlfriend – would let them in. There are several scenarios in which he could do this, but a death threat would not be one of them. You just won't let them in. This is your only defense.”
Philip Baum wonders what will actually happen under the threat of firearms at 35,000 feet. “I have spoken to many pilots who have said they are not quite sure what they will do if someone puts a gun to their head,” he says.
New measures were introduced after 9/11: doors were built to withstand bullets and grenade explosions, and stricter rules were introduced for doors to remain locked. The locking systems are controlled from the cab. Prior to 9/11, pilots used to invite people into the cockpit, especially children, Henson says. “September 11th was a strict sterile cabin rule, armored doors and crew training,” he says.
'9/11 changed everything': new security measures were introduced after the 9/11 attacks . AP Photo/ABC
Baum has doubts about the closed door rule. “How many people died because you have a suicide pilot in there and you can't get him out?” In 2015, the co-pilot of a Germanwings plane locked himself in the cockpit and crashed into a mountain, killing himself and 149 others.
Keep calm and keep up the good work
Sam, played by Idris Elba, later leans into the role of an action hero, but when the hijacking begins, his cold-blooded assessment rings true in actual negotiations. “You yourself have to remain calm,” says Scott Walker. “Emotional composure is the main skill of a good negotiator.”
Sam talks a couple of other passengers out of fighting the villains and talks another passenger out of having a panic attack. It even reassures the hijackers themselves by offering to help – it's all about taking the time to assess the situation further. According to Walker, there is a cross between business negotiations and hostage negotiations. “You need to stay calm, reduce overload, anxiety and stress so that you can lead to objective rational thinking,” Walker says. “It's about being able to adapt and having lots and lots of patience.”
He adds: “You have to buy time. Time allows strong emotions to subside…buying time allows you to build an intellectual picture. WHO? Why? And how?”
As Sam tells short-tempered passengers planning to fight back, “Don't do anything until you know who these people are.”
Keeping Calm: Idris Elba starred as a negotiator in The Hijack. Photo: Aidan Monaghan Photographer Field Warnings
As soon as the hijacking begins, Captain Allen warns the air traffic controllers in Dubai that there is a “certain” security problem, but the hijackers hold a gun to his face and ask him to say it's a false alarm. Only one air traffic controller in Dubai seems to think something is wrong. Are protocols in place for taking action on any such alert? Even if the pilot gives (suspiciously hastily) everything is clear? Or can the pilot still alert people on the ground with an emergency code?
“If the pilot comes back and says everything is fine, then no, it will not be a problem,” says David Henson. “But it won't be hard for a pilot to say something. Not code, but aviation has a very structured language. If you were to say something outside of that structure—if you went back and said “problem solved” but didn't use the standard phraseology—it would be alarming.
Air traffic controller Alice Sinclair (Eve Miles) discovers that the plane has been hijacked. Photo: Aidan Monaghan What's wrong with WiFi?
Much is being done from the airplane's Wi-Fi to Hijack. The hijackers confiscate the passengers' devices and turn off the in-flight Wi-Fi, but not before Sam can send a message to his ex-wife, the first real sign that something is up in the air. Switching Wi-Fi also alerts UK ATC (air traffic controllers). Later, the hijackers turn the Wi-Fi back on and forget about it – casually for organized criminals – allowing Sam to send a voice message to his wife.
Sam also deftly communicates with Captain Allen, now out of the cockpit, by sending messages via a kid's game on the on-board entertainment program.
In truth, Wi-Fi had little effect on the aircraft's communications with ATC. The aircraft could also use ACARS (Aircraft Addressing and Reporting System) or a transponder. Aircraft Wi-Fi is part of the passenger entertainment system and is separated from the cockpit by a firewall.
However, Philip Baum notes that Wi-Fi on the ground can create problems for hijackers. With flight-tracking apps like Flightradar24, any keen observer of aircraft on the ground will notice irregularities in the flight path.
The Truth About Hero Hijackers
Sam is undoubtedly on his way to becoming a Die Hard-like action hero who saves the day (although we'll probably have to wait until episode seven to find out for sure). But for now, Sam is right to stay calm. When the other passengers try to fight back, they are quickly beaten, gagged, and tied with zippers. It's like playing on the story of United 93, the fourth aircraft involved in the 9/11 attacks, where the passengers fought back and prevented the terrorists from hitting their intended target.
The story of the passengers on the fourth plane on September 11 turned into a thriller United 93
This is not a unique story. Household heroes during the hijacking are real. Baum details examples in the hijacking history book Violence in the Skies.
During a Qantas flight in 2003, Briton David Mark Robinson attempted to hijack the plane using two sharpened wooden stakes. Suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, he planned to fly the plane into the mountains of Tasmania. But Robinson was overpowered by a flight attendant, who was stabbed in the head, and four passengers. In 2004, Algerian citizen Brahim Buteraa attacked the pilot and first officer with an ax during a domestic flight in Norway. It was such a small flight that there were no flight attendants. Two passengers, a local politician and a car salesman, helped the pilot get off Buteraa. The plane almost crashed after flying less than 100 feet above the ground.
Lonely people with mental health issues are currently the leading cause of security problems, Baum said. “The number of incidents with unruly passengers is skyrocketing,” he says.
Real-life heroes: flight attendant Denise Hickson and treasurer Greg Khan were injured by a hijacker during a flight Qantas in 2003. : REUTERS/Stuart Milligan/AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND FROM EPA-PHOTO/AAP/JULIAN SMITH Trust is critical
It's like a movie trope: the negotiator wins the villain's trust. “Kidnapping for ransom negotiation is the most unregulated industry in the world, with the most complex supply chain and zero oversight,” Walker says. “And yet he has a 93 percent chance of success. It comes down to one thing: trust between us and the kidnappers.”
Sam gains the hijackers' trust by giving them advice on how to help with the hijacking and, most ridiculously, recovering a gun lost in a fight (instead of using it to save the day). Also unrealistic, according to Walker, is Sam's plan to outwit the hijackers with chess tactics. He always thinks several moves ahead. “Actually, you'd think, 'I just need to control my breathing!'” Walker laughs.
Deceive the hostage-takers – definitely not. Walker never lies in a negotiation. “To be trusted, you need to be trusted,” he says. “If we are going to transfer cash, we need to be sure that they are not going to rob us, and they need to be sure that we are not going to ambush, track them or give them counterfeit money. Gaining trust takes a long time.”
Sam (Idris Elba) earns hijackers' trust Credit: Des Willy Information on the ground
Despite Sam's messages and some sort of warning from the pilot to Dubai, only one controller in Swanwick – Alice (Eve Miles) – realizes that the plane has been hijacked. “It's not so far-fetched,” Henson says. “You can get an air traffic controller who thinks things don't look quite right.” Walker agrees. “This happens in real life,” he says. “You'll get a really active cookie that will raise the alarm.”
Walker also credits gathering information on the ground. Investigated by Detective O'Farrell (Max Beasley), who oddly turns out to be Sam's wife's new lover, leads to a crisis meeting with the British Foreign Secretary.
“It's pretty accurate,” Walker says. “Usually it came down to one or two people who were given this information. They said, “That doesn't make sense, let me check it out,” then the picture gradually took shape and shape. Once they realize it's the real thing, things can start moving very quickly.”
Detective O'Farrell (Max Beasley) investigates a plane hijacking. Photo: Aidan Monaghan. alarm?
ATC Alice is partially alert that the plane is slightly off course, zigzagging across its planned flight path – a deliberate movement by the pilot.
Understandably, aviation security experts are reticent about response protocols. “There are a number of little things that pilots are taught, what they can do if they can't communicate verbally, and what they can do with the aircraft,” Baum says. But I don't think anyone should go into it. He adds: “There is training going on, there are protocols to follow, ways to communicate with the ground.” While Baum won't go into details, one notable warning is the “7500” call signal.
Signal codes and four-digit numbers used by ATC to identify aircraft and flight situations. The number is entered into the aircraft's transponder and monitored by ATC. Code 7500 indicates a theft – or “tampering”. The UK Air Safety Board lists other things that could alert ATC, including, Henson suggested, non-standard phraseology and deviation from the flight plan. Planes fly along “airways” – marked channels 10 miles wide – and the zigzag movements, as seen in The Hijack, are almost certain to set off an alarm. “You have to stay within those 10 miles,” Henson says. “You are flying this route, at this speed, at this altitude. If you wish to deviate from this, you will receive permission.”
Nasser Memarzia as a passenger who thinks the hijackers are using forms. Photo: Aidan Monaghan. Registration with ATC
In a show, an aircraft must check in with the controller each time it enters a new airspace. It's a smart dramatic move. Almost once in a series, the aircraft has to confirm its status with the ground – a problem when the pilot is kicked out of the cockpit. This is also a real procedure. Airspace is divided into flight information regions (FIRs) and aircraft are registered with basic information. Unusual activity or non-compliance can also lead to military interception. In “Hijack”, several Romanian planes follow closely – close enough to notice the hijackers brandishing weapons inside – and threaten to shoot down the plane. Until the British Foreign Secretary can convince the Romanians to back off.
“Generally speaking, jets don't appear in front of or to the side of the aircraft,” says Henson. “They will hang at the back – because it scares the passengers. If the aircraft does not respond, the jet will move forward-left so it can signal the pilot, then try the distress frequency and instruct to follow. If none of this works, it becomes a political decision – the plane will fall behind until a decision is made.
Can you really fire a gun in an airplane?
The hijackers are soon suspected of firing blanks, which emboldens Sam and fellow travelers to attempt an uprising, until ringleader Neil Maskell loads real bullets and kills one innocent passenger. But could the hijackers have fired their weapons and risked impaling the plane? Haven't they seen “Goldfinger” in which the Bond villain is sucked out of a window? Henson laughs at it like it's a movie. “Assuming you hit the plane and it was standard ammo,” he says, “they will pierce the skin of the plane and leave a small hole.”
But wouldn't that cause problems in the cockpit? “Not exactly. Pressure is pumped into the fuselage. Pressure will flow out of any crack – they all leak – but they can keep the pressure high enough. If you make enough bullet holes, it will slowly depressurize. But you will need a lot of holes to overcome the pressurization system.”
Hijack is broadcast on AppleTV, new episodes are released every Wednesday
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