1981 JAT airplane hijacking involving famous actors and athletes

On September 26, 1981, a JAT Boeing 727-200 traveling from Titograd to Belgrade was hijacked by three armed individuals. The aircraft, carrying 98 passengers and eight crew members, was diverted from its route, eventually landing in Cyprus after flying over Athens and Tel Aviv.

Notable passengers included prominent actors Žarko Laušević, Mihailo Miša Janketić, and Marko Nikolić, as well as the full first team of the Budućnost football club, singer Biljana Petrović, and retired general Milan Šijan. The hijackers, identified as Borivoje Jelić, Marko Križić, and Milan Prpić, managed to board the plane using a pistol and a knife.

The incident highlighted significant security failures at the Titograd airport. Investigations revealed that metal detectors were non-functional, allowing weapons to be smuggled onto the plane, reportedly hidden in a woman's bag. The hijackers had attempted to blend in with the Budućnost football delegation to bypass airport controls.