Neerja Bhanot

On September 5, 1986, at Karachi airport, Neerja Bhanot, a senior flight purser for Pan Am, was shot and died while attempting to protect passengers on board hijacked Pan Am Flight 73 from heavily armed terrorists.

The aircraft was scheduled to take off for Frankfurt and continue to New York City, carrying its passengers' individuals of many nationalities, including Indians, Germans, Americans, and Pakistanis.

However, as the aircraft was sitting on the tarmac at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, it was hijacked just before takeoff. The young lady showed excellent foresight in warning the cockpit crew, who were able to flee as the armed terrorists stormed the aircraft. Neerja, being the senior staff member decided to do everything in her power to ensure the safety of the passengers on board.

Neerja, a journalist's daughter, was having difficulty establishing herself in her job after leaving an abusive marriage. At the young age of 22, she achieved a great deal of success as the senior flight purser for Pan Am, and she took her duties extremely seriously. She had the option to leave the ship with the other employees, but she decided to stay and aid the passengers in getting out.

While defending the three children from the terrorists, the courageous mom was slain. The Ashok Chakra, India's highest military award for valor during peacetime, was given to her posthumously.

Childhood and Early Life of Neerja Bhanot

On September 7, 1963, Neerja Bhanot was born in Chandigarh, Punjab, India. Her parents are Rama Bhanot and Harish Bhanot, a journalist from Mumbai. She was the couple's third child and their much-desired girl, following two sons, Aneesh and Akhil.

She graduated from St. Xavier's College after completing her high school education at Bombay Scottish School. She was a lively little child who was wise, kind, and upbeat.

Personal Information

• Nickname: Laado
• Age of Death: 22
• Family: Harish Bhanot is the father.
• Mother: Rama Bhanot
• Zodiac Sign: Virgo
• Date of Death: September 5, 1986
• Location of Death: Pakistan's Sindh, Karachi
• City: Chandigarh India

Career of Neerja Bhanot

Not long after graduating, she was married, but the marriage didn't work out. She divorced her husband and concentrated on establishing a prosperous career for herself after he had mistreated her for dowry.

Charming and self-assured, she took on modeling jobs and starred in numerous print and TV ads for brands, including Vicco Turmeric cream, Benzersarees, Binaca toothpaste, Godrej Besto detergent, and Vaporex.

Then, as Pan Am was the main and biggest foreign airline in the US at the time, she applied for a position as a flight attendant. Despite receiving close to 10,000 submissions, Neerja was quickly chosen from the top 80.

She was flown to Miami for flight attendant training, where her fearlessness and fervor won over her teachers. For a young woman of 22, being a senior flight purser with the Airways was a significant career accomplishment.

Pan Am Flight

Neerja Bhanot was working in Pan Am. Flight 73 on September 5, 1986 was sitting on the Tarmac at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, getting ready to take off. The aircraft, which was carrying 361 passengers and 19 staff members, was traveling from Mumbai to the USA.

Four armed guys suddenly stormed into the plane. Neerja acted swiftly, warning the cockpit crew to exit the aircraft. She took command since she was the most senior employee on the plane that had been taken over.

The hijackers intended to fly to Israel and crash the aircraft into a building. They were members of the terrorist Abu Nidal Organization, which Libya supported. However, the escape of the cockpit crew made it impossible.

The plane's occupants were nationals of many nations, including Americans, Germans, Indians, and Pakistanis. The terrorists' primary goal was to harm Americans. Neerja concealed the American passports so that the terrorists would not be able to identify them when she was instructed to retrieve the passenger passports.

For a long time, the ordeal aboard the plane persisted. After seventeen hours, the hijackers opened fire, which is when Neerja opened the emergency door. She had the option to flee first but decided against it. Rather, she aided the travelers in getting away. After spending hours preserving the lives of multiple hostages, she was shot while defending three youngsters from the attackers' bullets.

Personal Life and Legacy of Neerja Bhanot

In March 1985, Neerja was forced into an arranged marriage and relocated to the Gulf to live with her spouse. But the marriage didn't work out well. Although Neerja, as well as her parents, had agreed at the time of the marriage that there would be no dowry, the young bride was subjected to abuse and humiliation at her husband's home in exchange for a dowry.

She decided to leave this horrible marriage behind and go back to her Indian parents.

Using insurance proceeds and money from Pan Am for the use of the Pan Am brand in the title, her parents established the Neerja Bhanot Pan Am Trust. Every year, the charity gives out two awards: one to a flight attendant from across the world that goes above and beyond the call of duty and another to an Indian woman who fights social injustice and supports other women going through similar struggles.

Awards and Achievements won by Neerja

Her parents created the Neerja Bhanot Pan Am Trust with funds from Pan Am for the use of the Pan Am brand in the title and insurance income. The foundation distributes two prizes annually: one to a global flight attendant who goes above and above the call of duty and another to an Indian woman who combats social injustice and provides assistance to other women facing comparable challenges.

Trivia

This courageous flight attendant prevented a hijacking in 1986 as well as killing of 3 children, and one child among these children is now a captain of a large airline.

The biographical movie "Neerja" is about Neerja Bhanot. Starring Hindi actress Sonam Kapoor in the major role, Ram Madhvani's film is based on the real-life hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan. Shekhar Ravjiani and Shabana Azmi have supporting roles in the movie as well.