Neerja Bhanot

Neerja Bhanot (7 September 1963 – 5 September 1986) was an Indian flight attendant. On 5 September 1986, she saved a large number of passengers on board Pan Am Flight 73, which had been hijacked by four Palestinian terrorists from the Abu Nidal Organization after it made a stopover at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan. Around 17 hours into the standoff, after she opened an emergency exit door and began helping passengers escape from the plane, Neerja was shot and killed by the hijackers. Shortly afterward, Pakistan's Special Service Group stormed the aircraft and captured all of the hijackers.

Posthumously, Bhanot became the first female recipient and, until 2003, the youngest recipient of the Ashoka Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award of India. She also received the Tamgha-e-Pakistan, the 4th highest civilian award of Pakistan, in addition to several accolades from the United States. Her life and humanitarian actions inspired the 2016 Indian Hindi-language biographical film Neerja, directed by Ram Madhvani and starring actress Sonam Kapoor.

Early life and family Neerja Bhanot was born on 7 September 1963 in Chandigarh, India into a Punjabi Hindu Brahmin family of the Bhanot clan. She was the daughter of Harish Bhanot, a Bombay-based journalist, and Rama Bhanot. She had two brothers, Akhil and Aneesh Bhanot. She received her early schooling at Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School in Chandigarh. When the family moved to Bombay, she continued her studies at Bombay Scottish School and then graduated from St. Xavier's College, Bombay. She was a huge fan of actor Rajesh Khanna and used to refer to quotes from his films throughout her life.

Her father, Harish Bhanot, worked as a journalist with the Hindustan Times for more than 30 years and died on New Year's Day in 2008 in Chandigarh at the age of 86. Her mother died on 5 December 2015 at the age of 86. Her brother Aneesh Bhanot died on 12 June 2021 at the age of 62.

Career Bhanot applied for a flight attendant job with Pan Am, when in 1985 it decided to have an all Indian cabin crew for its Frankfurt to India routes. Upon selection, she went to Miami, Florida for training as a flight attendant, but returned as a purser.

Hijacking

Bhanot was the Senior Flight Purser on Pan Am Flight 73, a Boeing 747-121 flying from Bombay to New York City via Karachi and Frankfurt. On 5 September 1986, the aircraft was hijacked on the apron at Karachi by four Palestinian terrorists affiliated with the Libya-backed Abu Nidal Organization. The aircraft was carrying 360 passengers and 19 crew members. The hijackers intended to fly to Cyprus to demand the release of Palestinian prisoners.

The hijackers specifically targeted Americans and American assets. Shortly after seizing the aircraft, they identified an Indian-American passenger, dragged him to the exit, fatally shot him, and threw his body from the plane. The hijackers then instructed Bhanot to collect the passports of all passengers to identify the remaining Americans. Bhanot and the cabin crew under her direction hid the passports of the 43 American passengers under seats and down a garbage chute.

After a 17-hour standoff, the cabin lights went out due to loss of power from the auxiliary power unit when its fuel ran out. The hijackers detonated explosives and opened fire inside the dark cabin. Bhanot deployed an emergency exit door. Rather than evacuating, she remained on board to assist passengers in escaping. She was fatally shot in the abdomen while shielding three children from the bullets of the hijackers and died on her way to the hospital.

Legacy Bhanot was recognized internationally as "the heroine of the hijacking". In 2004, the Indian Postal Service released a commemorative stamp in her honour.

Her loyalties to the passengers of the aircraft in distress will forever be a lasting tribute to the finest qualities of the human spirit. — Ashoka Chakra citation

In 2005, Bhanot was posthumously awarded the "Justice for Crimes Award" by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia; her brother Aneesh received the award on her behalf in Washington, D.C. In 2006, the United States Department of Justice awarded the Special Courage Award to Bhanot, her fellow flight attendants, and Pan Am's flight director for Pakistan.

The Bhanot House at Austrey School is named in her honour. On 2 July 2016, the Bharat Gaurav Award was conferred on her at the House of Commons, UK Parliament. In 2018, Punjab University inaugurated the Neerja Bhanot Hostel on its Chandigarh campus, providing accommodation for over 350 female students.

In popular culture The Neerja I Knew, a coffee table book compiled by her brother Aneesh Bhanot, featuring chapters written by her acquaintances. Neerja, a 2016 Indian Hindi-language biographical film directed by Ram Madhvani and starring Sonam Kapoor as Bhanot. Kapoor received a Special Mention at the National Film Awards for her performance. The Smile of Courage, a biographical book authored by her brother Aneesh Bhanot.

Awards and honours Ashoka Chakra, 1987, India Tamgha-e-Insaniyat, 1987, Pakistan Flight Safety Foundation Heroism Award, 1987, United States Justice for Crimes Award, 2005, United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, United States Bharat Gaurav Award, 2016, House of Commons, UK Parliament

Personal life In 1985, Bhanot had an arranged marriage with Naresh Mishra, a Qatari businessman. The couple separated shortly thereafter due to reported marital abuse.