By 1980 , airport screening and greater cooperation from the international community led to fewer successful hijackings ; the number of events had significantly dropped below the 1968 level . Between 1978 and 1988 , there were roughly 26 incidents of hijackings a year . A new threat emerged in the 1980s and this was from organised terrorists destroying aircraft to draw attention . For instance , terrorist groups were responsible for the bombing of Air India Flight 182 over the Irish coast . In 1988 , Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed flying over Scotland . Terrorist activity which included hijack attempts in the Middle East were also a cause of concern
Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182
Aircraft hijacking