On December 24, 1994, Air France Flight 8969, an Airbus A300, was hijacked at Algiers’ Houari Boumediene Airport by four armed members of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) of Algeria.

The terrorists took passengers and crew hostage with the intent to crash the plane into a major Paris landmark, such as the Eiffel Tower or Tour Montparnasse.Algerian authorities initially refused to let the aircraft depart, leading to a tense 39-hour standoff.During this period, the hijackers executed three passengers, including two Algerians and a Vietnamese diplomat, to pressure negotiations.Their actions made it evident that the goal was not ransom or asylum but to use the plane as a weapon of terror.Under pressure from French officials, the Algerian government eventually allowed the plane to fly to Marseille, France.Upon landing at Marseille-Provence Airport on December 26, French authorities surrounded the aircraft.

When the hijackers opened fire on the control tower, the elite French National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN) launched a swift 20-minute assault.Thirty commandos stormed the plane, killing all four hijackers.

The successful operation resulted in all remaining 173 hostages surviving, though several passengers, crew members including the captain, and GIGN operators were wounded.The incident is remembered as one of the most effective counter-terrorism operations in history.

It led to significant changes in aviation security protocols worldwide and inspired documentaries and the 2010 French film 'L’assaut' (The Assault).The event highlighted the growing threat of Islamist terrorism in the 1990s and strengthened international cooperation against such attacks.