On September 5, 1986, Pan Am Flight 73 landed in Karachi for what should have been a routine stopover. Within minutes, armed hijackers stormed the plane, trapping 359 people in a nightmare.
Amid the terror stood 22-year-old flight purser Neerja Bhanot. Instead of panicking, she acted. Neerja quickly alerted the cockpit crew, giving them the chance to escape through an overhead hatch. That single act prevented the hijackers from forcing the aircraft into an even deadlier outcome.
For the next 17 hours, Neerja became a shield of calm. She hid American passports so passengers wouldn’t be targeted. She soothed crying children, reassured families, and stood firm against fear. She never once put herself first.
When the hijackers finally opened fire, Neerja was at an emergency exit. She could have escaped. Instead, she chose to stay—throwing open the doors and helping passengers flee. In her final moments, she shielded children with her own body, taking the bullets meant for them.
Neerja did not survive that night. But hundreds of others did—because of her courage. Today, her name lives on as a symbol of selfless bravery, remembered not just in India but across the world. A young woman who gave her life so that strangers could live.
