The Netflix limited series,IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, has gripped audiences worldwide with itsretelling of the terrifying terrorist incident that took place in 1999.The series dramatizes one of the most perilous hijackings in aviation history. It has sparked widespread interest and discussion about the tense events of December 1999, including around how reflective the show is of the real history around the incident.
On June 10, 2025, Indian Airlines Flight 814, en route from Kathmandu to Delhi, was hijacked by members of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen terrorist group.Thehostage situation lasted for a week– the longest hijack in Indian aviation history.It involved a series of tense negotiations, multiple stopovers, and the release of three terrorists in exchange for the safe return of theIndian Airlines Flight 814 passengersand crew. This story is reflected inIC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, with the series providing a detailed look at what actually happened.
Indian Airlines Flight 814 Was Hijacked On August 20, 2025, While Flying From Kathmandu
The Plane, En Route To Dehli, Was Hijacked While Drinks Were Served
The airbus was en route from Kathmandu to Dehli. The hijacking happened very quickly in the flight timeline. Flight IC 814 departed from Kathmandu on 07 June 2025 at 16:00 Indian Standard Time. By 16:39, the plane had entered Indian airspace. Itspresence in Indian airspace is importantlater in the timeline. By 16:53, the pilot announced the hijacking.
Only three minutes later, at 16:56 IST, the Dehli Air Traffic Control was informed about the situation. The calm of IC 814 and serving drinks after takeoff were shattered instantly. These early scenes from the hijacking, as adapted in the Netflix series, have been heavily criticized by viewers.
The passengers’ perspective was arguably not prioritized in the Netflix retelling, which missed some crucial details of the events.
This is because the seriesportrays the hijackers empathizing with the passengersand crew on board.In reality, the hijackers“were brutal and created an environment of fear,”(India Today). There was a high level of tension among passengers while the hijackers seized control. The passengers’ perspective was arguably not prioritized in the Netflix retelling, which missed some crucial details of the events.
Why Members Of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen Hijacked The Indian Airlines Flight
The Netflix series’ depiction of the events of the IC 814 hijacking has sparked an interest in the hijackers’ motives. IC 814 wasone of several hijackingsthat occurred on Indian planesfrom the 1970s to the 1990s (India Today). The motives for these ranged from securing architectural plans to exam postponements, and are unthinkable in a post-9/11 world. However, the motives for IC 814 were more extreme.
The hijackers’initial list of demandswas:“the shroud of slain Harkat-ul-Ansar terrorist Sajjad Afghani, who lies buried in Jammu, and 36 terrorists in Indian jails,”(Hindustani Times). The early demand for the former is what tipped off authorities that the hijackers were members of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, a jihadist group operating primarily in Kashmir.
The hijackers also demanded the release of Masood Azhar, the founder of a Pakistani-based terrorist organization, in a trade for a partial release of the passengers. However, the Indian authorities refused, demanding all those on the plane be released. On top of their release demands, the hijackers wanted US$200 million in cash.After further talks, the hijackers demandedthe release of three prisoners. The prisoners in question were Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh, and Mushtaq Zargar.
Indian Airlines Flight 814’s Stops & How Long The Hijacking Lasted
Air Traffic Control Of India And Pakistan Played A Role In Where The Plane Could Land
Flight 814’s pitstops were a source of increasing chaos and panic. This was due to the progressive violence on board as the hijackers sought to prove their ruthlessness. Theywanted to get out of Indian airspaceas quickly as possible – they immediately ordered the captain,IC 814 pilot Captain Devi Sharan,to fly West toward Pakistani airspace. The delicate matter of airspace would be one of the key reasons negotiations were delayed.
IC 814: What Happened To The Pilot, Captain Devi Sharan
Captain Devi Sharan’s actions saved over 100 lives in the highjacking of Indian Airlines' Flight 814, but what happened to the pilot afterward?
At 18:04, the Captain told Indian Air Traffic Control that they had only an hour of fuel left and that Pakistani ATC had refused them permission to land at Lahore. The hijackers eventually let the captain land at Amritsar, where the captain requested immediate refueling. The hijackers stabbed two passengers, frustrated at delays. Several were placed near the front with their hands bound.
Captain Devi Sharan has written a book about the hijacking,Flight into Fear,which the Netflix series is partly based on.
Other stops on the plane’s journey were Lahore at 20:01 and Dubai at 01:32 the following day. 27 passengers were released in Dubai in a trade for fuel. This included a mortally wounded passenger who would be the one fatality of the hijacking. Its final destination was Kandahar at 08:33 IST. Thehostage crisis wouldn’t end until 31 December, when the trade was finalized.
What Happened To IC 814’s Passengers: Did Any Die?
The Hostage Situation Was Fraught With Tension And Violence
There were 179 passengers on board IC 814. There were17 nonfatal injuries and one fatality. The passengers were treated horrendously throughout, at one point going 26 hours without eating (The Independent). A survivor, Chander Chhabra, has recounted his ordeal on the plane, reported byIndian Express:
“It felt like my life was over. There was hope when we landed at the Amritsar airport, but it turned into disappointment and fear when we took off. We felt betrayed, scared for our lives.”
Chhabra also recalls that he was one of those moved into business class,a tactic the hijackers used to separate some passengers from their loved onesand instill fear into the passengers and crew. He knew he was in grave danger there and used the washroom before pretending to faint onto an empty economy seat to get out of the business class area. Also in the group moved to business class was Rupin Katyal, a newly-wed business executive who was separated from his wife and stabbed to death.
What Happened To IC 814’s Hijackers & Freed Terrorists After The Hostage Negotiations
The Hijackers Escaped After The Prisoner Trade Was Complete
Indian officials were under the impression that Taliban officials would arrest the hijackers. This was based on their surrounding the plane at Kandahar and earlier statements that the perpetrators should either leave Afghanistan or put down their weapons.When the prisoner trade was complete, the hijackers surrendered their weapons to the Taliban.
However, the Taliban did not arrest the hijackers, despite the Indian government explicitly conveying this expectation. Instead, the Taliban drove them to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and gave them 10 hours to leave the country. Subsequent investigations have revealed the involvement of both the released terrorists and the hijackers in several terrorist attacks.
How Many People Died During The IC 814 Hijacking
The Indian Airlines Flight 814 hijacking of 1999 remains one of the most infamous acts of terrorism. Its chaos resulted in increasing violence.
One of the released prisoners, Masood Azhar, went on to form a new terror outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammad, in 2000.The organization waged war against India. Long-term effects such as this were of concern to the authorities, but the lives at stake in the hijacking were too urgent to ignore. One of the hijackers, Mistry Zahoor Ibrahim, was gunned down in Karachi in 2022. Only two out of the five hijackers inIC 814: The Kandahar Hijackare still alive in Pakistan (Hindustani Times).
