Afriqiyah hijack video clip showing passengers singing revealed to be ‘fake’

As the hijacked Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A320-214 sat parked on the apron at Malta International Airport on 23 December, concern mounted as to the fate of the 109 passengers and seven crew members that were on board the plane with the two hijackers.

A photo and a video started making the rounds on social media, reportedly having been shot aboard the ill-fated airplane and portraying a picture of calm and serenity.

But while the photo was proven to be authentic, MaltaToday can confirm that the video clip of passengers singing and clapping hands was a fake and in fact showed passengers on some other flight singing in what is clearly Egyptian.

The singing translates to: “Captain, captain, bring the plane down, because we want to pray for the prophet.”

The clip was posted on Facebook in Arabic by user @video.derna.

Our sources have confirmed that this video clip was probably shot on a flight carrying a number of Egyptian passengers to Mecca for the yearly Muslim Hajj (pilgrimage), and had nothing to do with Afriqiyah Flight 209.

Something else also gave the game away as to the clip not being shot on board the hijacked plane: the interior of the plane in the video clip looks nothing like an Afriqiyah Airways aircraft, which have light green seat covers.

A photo sent from on board the hijacked airplane shows one of the hijackers observing the passengers and clearly shows the light green seat covers used on Afriqiyah Airways aircraft

And while some realised it was probably meant as a joke, however inappropriate, many believed the Facebook post and shared it with their contacts.

A few Maltese even took umbrage at the post.

Stephen Brincat wrote: “If this is true, is unbelievable in a hijack!”

Antoine Cortis associated the passengers’ behaviour with previous reports of the hijackers being supporters of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

“So i can see these people who are singing are still in favor with the politics of gadafi?” he wrote. “I can see they are giving support to the hijackers.”

Some Maltese did not appreciate perceived behaviour of passengers on board hijacked plane

Alison Grech was even more fortright.

“Shame on you. You cost us a lot of money. Operations cancelled. Police and soldiers on call. Doctors the same. While maltese people had to postpone their operations because of u. You were singing. Making fun of us. Shame on u.”

And when a Jessica Camilleri commented on Grech’s post that the passengers seemed to enjoy some base, Grech replied: “Ihobbu il bombi go darhom. Imbaghad noqghodu nithassruhom.” (They love bombs in their own country. Then we pity them.”