FRIEDRICHSHAFEN- The Landshut, a Lufthansa (LH) Boeing 737 aircraft central to Germany’s most notorious hijacking incident, moved Tuesday from Friedrichshafen Airport’s (FDH) hangar to its new exhibition hall.
The aircraft’s fuselage will undergo restoration before opening to public viewing in 2026.
Lufthansa Hijacked 737 Landshut Moved
The aircraft endured a five-day hijacking ordeal in October 1977 when Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine militants seized control during its Mallorca-to-Frankfurt flight.
The hijackers demanded freedom for imprisoned Red Army Faction (RAF) leaders, linking the incident to West Germany’s broader political crisis.
The hijacking intensified the “German Autumn” of 1977, a period marked by RAF terrorist attacks and widespread police operations. The militants forced the aircraft through multiple locations, executing Captain Jürgen Schumann during the ordeal.
The crisis reached its climax in Mogadishu, Somalia, where German police commandos successfully rescued all remaining hostages. This operation marked a significant victory against international terrorism and demonstrated Germany’s counter-terrorism capabilities.
The Landshut, named after a Bavarian town, now serves as a tangible reminder of this pivotal moment in German history. Its preservation and the upcoming exhibition will provide visitors with direct access to this crucial historical artifact.
On Ground Since 40 Years
The Landshut Boeing 737, which operated commercial flights for Lufthansa from 1970 to 1985, transitions into its new role as a museum centerpiece. After Lufthansa, the aircraft served multiple operators as a cargo carrier until its decommissioning in 2008.
Former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel initiated the aircraft’s preservation in 2017, orchestrating its transfer from Brazil to Friedrichshafen. The historic plane remained stored at Friedrichshafen Airport’s temporary warehouse for seven years before this week’s move.
Project leader Steffen Krautzig describes the complex relocation process as “a big puzzle,” emphasizing the aircraft’s significance in West German history. The successful hostage rescue operation aboard this aircraft marked a pivotal moment in Germany’s fight against terrorism.
The German government demonstrates its commitment to preserving this historical artifact through a €15 million ($16 million) investment.
Similar to Landshut, Concorde, the supersonic aircraft, belonging to British Airways (BA) returned to the Intrepid Museum after seven months of restoration in April 2024.
The British Airways Concorde, a product of joint French-British design and construction, stood as the swiftest commercial aircraft ever crafted, dominating the skies between Europe and the Western Hemisphere from the 1970s until the early 2000s.
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