In 1985 , Air India Flight 182 flying from Canada was blown up by a bomb while in Irish airspace , killing 329 people , including 280 Canadian citizens , mostly of Indian birth or descent , and 22 Indians . The incident was the deadliest act of air terrorism before 9/11 , and the first bombing of a 747 Jumbo Jet which would set a pattern for future air terrorism plots . The crash occurred within an hour of the fatal Narita Airport Bombing which also originated from Canada without the passenger for the bag that exploded on the ground . Evidence from the explosions , witnesses and wiretaps of militants pointed to an attempt to actually blow up two airliners simultaneously by members of the Babbar Khalsa Khalistan movement militant group based in Canada to punish India for attacking the Golden Temple
Narita Airport Bombing
1985 Narita International Airport bombing
History of terrorism