On 5 April 1988 , KU 422 departed Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok with 112 passengers and crew aboard , including three members of the Kuwaiti Royal Family . About three hours out of Bangkok , over the Arabian Sea , a number of Lebanese men armed with guns and hand grenades took control of the plane . A passenger later reported the hijackers to have said , " Do n't worry , we are after redressing our rights denied by the Kuwaiti government " . Although the passengers were restrained , they were not initially treated badly . The hijackers forced the pilot to fly to Iran , where authorities initially refused the plane permission to land , but later acquiesced on learning it was running out of fuel . After subsequently landing at Mashhad , the hijackers issued their demand for the release of 17 guerrillas held by Kuwait following their conviction for involvement in the 1983 Kuwait bombings . In addition they threatened to blow up the aircraft if anyone approached it , and to kill the three Kuwaiti Royals if their terms were not met
1983 Kuwait bombings
1983 Kuwait bombings
Kuwait Airways Flight 422