Michel Bacos
Encyclopedia
Michel Bacos was captain of Air France Flight 139 when the plane was hijacked on June 27, 1976, by Palestinian
and German
terrorists. The hijacking, by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
(PFLP), was part of an international campaign of Palestinian political violence
.
Bacos is a recipient of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, the highest decoration in France. He also was awarded a medal by the Israeli government, for refusing to leave his Jewish passengers behind when the terrorists released their non-Jewish hostages, and offered to release Bacos and his crew.
plane originated in Tel Aviv
and was on its way from Athens
to Paris
, with Bacos at the controls. Minutes into the flight, Bacos heard screams and the plane was hijacked. Bacos was forced to re-route the plane, at gunpoint. He recalled later: "The terrorist had his gun pointed continuously at my head and occasionally he would poke my neck not to look at him. We could only obey the orders of the terrorists". Bacos was forced to turn the plane south to Benghazi
, Libya
, for refueling, and then Bacos was forced to fly it in a south-eastern direction. He ultimately landed the jet at Entebbe in Uganda
, with only 20 more minutes of fuel left.
The terrorists freed the 148 non-Jewish passengers, and offered to release Bacos and his crew. But Bacos refused to leave the plane and the remaining 94 Jewish passengers. Saying it was his duty to stay with them until the end "no matter what happens", and that he would not leave any of them. He and his crew stayed behind as prisoners, with the Jewish hostages.
The captives were freed in an Israeli commando raid known as Operation Entebbe
, and Bacos was dazed in the attack. After the raid, Bacos was asked if he ever thought the Israeli army would fly thousands of kilometres to rescue them. Looking at the cameras, he said, "Who else?"
reprimanded Bacos for his decision to remain with the Jewish hostages with his crew. It also temporarily suspended him from flying duties for his actions.
.
The Israeli government awarded Bacos and his crew medals for heroism, for refusing to leave the Jewish passengers behind.
In June 2008, Bacos was awarded the B'nai B'rith International "Ménoras d'Or" (Golden Menorah) in Cannes
, France.
, France with his wife. As of 2006, he had seven grandchildren.
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
terrorists. The hijacking, by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist organisation founded in 1967. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation Organization , the largest being Fatah...
(PFLP), was part of an international campaign of Palestinian political violence
Palestinian political violence
Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence undertaken to further the Palestinian cause. These political objectives include self-determination in and sovereignty over Palestine, the liberation of Palestine and establishment of a Palestinian state, either in place of both Israel and...
.
Bacos is a recipient of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, the highest decoration in France. He also was awarded a medal by the Israeli government, for refusing to leave his Jewish passengers behind when the terrorists released their non-Jewish hostages, and offered to release Bacos and his crew.
Hijacking
His Airbus A300Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
plane originated in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and was on its way from Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, with Bacos at the controls. Minutes into the flight, Bacos heard screams and the plane was hijacked. Bacos was forced to re-route the plane, at gunpoint. He recalled later: "The terrorist had his gun pointed continuously at my head and occasionally he would poke my neck not to look at him. We could only obey the orders of the terrorists". Bacos was forced to turn the plane south to Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, for refueling, and then Bacos was forced to fly it in a south-eastern direction. He ultimately landed the jet at Entebbe in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, with only 20 more minutes of fuel left.
The terrorists freed the 148 non-Jewish passengers, and offered to release Bacos and his crew. But Bacos refused to leave the plane and the remaining 94 Jewish passengers. Saying it was his duty to stay with them until the end "no matter what happens", and that he would not leave any of them. He and his crew stayed behind as prisoners, with the Jewish hostages.
The captives were freed in an Israeli commando raid known as Operation Entebbe
Operation Entebbe
Operation Entebbe was a counter-terrorist hostage-rescue mission carried out by the Special Forces of the Israel Defense Forces at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on 4 July 1976. A week earlier, on 27 June, an Air France plane with 248 passengers was hijacked by Palestinian and German terrorists and...
, and Bacos was dazed in the attack. After the raid, Bacos was asked if he ever thought the Israeli army would fly thousands of kilometres to rescue them. Looking at the cameras, he said, "Who else?"
Suspension by Air France
Following Operation Entebbe, Air FranceAir France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
reprimanded Bacos for his decision to remain with the Jewish hostages with his crew. It also temporarily suspended him from flying duties for his actions.
Awards
In 1976, Bacos was awarded the National Order of the Legion of Honour, the highest decoration in France, by the President of FranceValéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
.
The Israeli government awarded Bacos and his crew medals for heroism, for refusing to leave the Jewish passengers behind.
In June 2008, Bacos was awarded the B'nai B'rith International "Ménoras d'Or" (Golden Menorah) in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France.
Personal life
Bacos retired from Air France in 1982, and resides in NiceNice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, France with his wife. As of 2006, he had seven grandchildren.
Films
- 19771977 in filmThe year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network....
: Mivtsa Yonatan, played by Henri Czarniak - 19771977 in filmThe year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network....
: Raid on EntebbeRaid on Entebbe (film)Raid on Entebbe is a 1977 TV movie directed by Irvin Kershner. It is based on an actual event: Operation Entebbe and the freeing of hostages at Entebbe Airport in Entebbe, Uganda on July 4, 1976. It was the last movie to be released featuring Academy Award-winning actor Peter Finch who died just...
, played by Eddie ConstantineEddie ConstantineEddie Constantine was an American-born French actor and singer who spent his career working in Europe.... - 20002000 in filmThe year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
: Operation Thunderbolt: Entebbe, played by Michel Bacos himself (documentary)