The story of the sacrifice of pilots and crewmembers aboard the four flights hijacked on 9/11 – American Airlines Flight 11, American Airlines Flight 77, United Airlines Flight 93, and United Airlines Flight 175 – is integral to the history of the day.

Throughout aviation history, many major airlines have been victims of hijacking, with the most famous being American Airlines and United Airlines during the September 11, 2001 attacks. In the "Golden Age of Hijacking" (1960s–70s), Eastern Air Lines, National Airlines, and TWA were frequent targets, often by individuals seeking passage to Cuba. International carriers like Lufthansa (the Landshut hijacking in 1977), Air France (the Entebbe hijacking in 1976), and El Al have also faced significant incidents. In the 1970s, Japan Airlines was targeted by the Japanese Red Army, and British Airways experienced a high-profile hijacking in 1974. Even Pan Am saw its first Boeing 747 hijacking in 1970, diverted to Havana. By 2026, such incidents have become exceedingly rare due to the global implementation of reinforced cockpit doors and advanced biometric security, but the history of these "skyjackings" remains a primary reason for the strict TSA and international security protocols travelers experience at airports today.