The Pan Am Podcast
Experience the legacy of the world’s most iconic airline, Pan American World Airways! This award-winning history and humanities program brings Pan Am’s 64-year history to life through engaging storytelling and insightful interviews from Pan Am employees, passengers, pilots, journalists, historians, authors, fashionistas, and aviation enthusiasts! Hosted by historian Tom Betti, the program has won the following awards: Gold 2024 & 2023 Muse Creative Awards; Gold 2024 Vega Digital Award; Silver 2023 Vega Digital Award; Gold Award from the 2023 Hear Now Palooza of the National Audio Theater Festivals; Silver 2022 Muse Creative Award; Arcturus 2022 Vega Digital Award (Podcast); and Arcturus 2022 Vega Digital Award (Best Host). The Pan Am Podcast is brought to you by the Pan Am Museum in Garden City, New York and is sponsored by the generous personal support of Mr. Adam Aron, CEO of AMC Theatres and President of the Pan Am Historical Foundation. The Pan Am Museum Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and would appreciate your consideration of tax-deductible donations.
The Pan Am Podcast
Episode 26: Flight 73 Hijacking Remembrance
On September 5, 1986 at around 5:10am local time in Karachi, Pakistan, a Pan Am Boeing 747 named Clipper Empress of the Seas was hijacked by four armed Palestinian commandos on the ground during the boarding process with almost 400 people on the aircraft.
A total of 20 people, including two Pan Am crew members and 18 passengers, were ultimately killed in this act of terrorism.
We dedicate this episode to all the 20 victims of this tragedy. They are remembered.
Pan Am Employees:
Neerja Bhanot, 22, Pan Am Flight Attendant and Purser
Meherjee Minocher Kharas, 28, Pan Am Mechanic
Both served their passengers with great honor, bravery, and valor.
From the United States:
Rajesh Kumar, 29, and Surendra Manubhai Patel, 50.
From Mexico:
José Álvarez Lamar Nuñez, 57, and Ricardo Muñoz Rosales, 28.
From Pakistan:
Syed Nesar Ahmad, 43, and Imran Rizvi, 17.
From India:
Kuverben Patel, 81, Kala Singh, 36, Seetharamiah Krishnaswamy, 61, Trupti Dalal, 28, Krishna Kumari Gadde, 28, Ganapathi Thanikaimoni, 48, Boby Thomachen Mulloor, 7, Thomachen Thomas Mulloor, 30, Aleyamma Scaria Nagatholy, 39, Ramakant Naik, 55, Rupal Desai, 26, and Kodiyattu K. Kurian, 25.
To the family and friends of the victims...our sincerest condolences.
For this special memorial edition of this program, we are joined by four Pan Am flight attendants that were on Flight 73 and were eyewitnesses to history:
Sherene Pavan, Sunshine Vesuwala, Madhvi Bahuguna, and Samira Goode.
These incredible women served their passengers with great courage and bravery and saved hundreds of lives. We salute them.
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A very special thanks to Mr. Adam Aron, Chairman and CEO of AMC and president of the Pan Am Historical Foundation and Pan Am Brands for their continued and unwavering support!
