AIRCRAFT SURROUNDED BY POLICE AND SECURITY MEN; PEOPLE WATCHING; SOLDIERS ON GUARD; OFFICIALS LEAVING AIRCRAFT; AIRCRAFT PREPARING FOR TAKE-OFF AND TAKING-OFF.




Initials LD/VS/DW/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: A RUSSIAN-BUILT ILYUSHIN-18 AIRLINER OF THE POLISH STATE AIRLINE LOT, WHICH WAS HIJACKED BY TWO YOUNG EAST BERLINERS WITH 71 PASSENGERS ON BOARD, WAS YESTERDAY (SUNDAY) HELD AT TEGEL AIRPORT IN THE FRENCH SECTOR OF WEST BERLIN PRIOR TO BEING FLOWN BACK TO THE EAST.

THE ILYUSHIN, WHICH IS THE FIRST COMMUNIST-OWNED CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT TO BE HIJACKED, WAS TAKEN AT GUNPOINT WHILE ON A ROUTINE FLIGHT FROM WARSAW TO BRUSSELS VIA EAST BERLIN.

THE TWO MEN -- REPORTED TO BE MECHANICS, 18 AND 23 YEARS OF AGE -- ASKED FOR, AND WERE GRANTED, POLITICAL ASYLUM, ACCORDING TO FRENCH OFFICIAL SOURCES IN WEST BERLIN. BUT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MYSTERY STILL SURROUNDS THE ACTUAL HIJACKING -- ONE SOURCE SAYS THAT THE MEN WERE ONLY CARRYING TOY PISTOLS, WHILE OTHER REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE GUNS WERE LOADED.

LOCAL ALLIED SOURCES SAID IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT COMMUNIST REACTION TO THE INCIDENT -- BUT DO NOT EXCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY THAT EAST GERMANY MAY LODGE A PROTEST OR ASK FOR THE EXTRADITION OF THE TWO MEN. HOWEVER, THEY ADDED, THEY DID NOT FORESEE ANY MAJOR DIPLOMATIC INCIDENT.

AFTER BEING HELD AT TEGEL FOR ABOUT THREE HOURS, THE ILYUSHIN WAS ALLOWED TO FLY 18 MILES (30 KILOMETRES) TO SCHOENFELD, OVER THE BERLIN WALL. THERE THE PASSENGERS REMAINED ANOTHER FOUR HOURS BEFORE BEING PUT ON ANOTHER AIRLINER TO CONTINUE THEIR TRIP TO BRUSSELS.