air piracy

noun

1. the hijacking of an airplane; skyjacking.

Other Word Forms

• air pirate noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of air piracy¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

The international episode that has resulted in an air piracy case was centered on a plan by the officials to report a fake bomb threat to apprehend anti-government media personality Roman Protasevich by forcing his flight to make an emergency landing at an airport within Belarus’s jurisdiction on May 23.

Read more on Washington Post

They were charged in a one-count indictment alleging conspiracy to commit air piracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Read more on Reuters

He has locked up hundreds of peaceful protesters, journalists, artists and activists; engaged in air piracy to seize an opposition journalist; and attempted to punish an Olympic athlete for speaking out.

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The EU called it air piracy and barred Belarusian carriers from its skies and cut imports of the country’s top commodities, including petroleum products and potash, an ingredient in fertilizer.

Read more on Seattle Times

But the European Union called it air piracy and barred Belarusian carriers from its skies and cut imports of the country’s top commodities, including petroleum products and potash, a common fertilizer ingredient.

Read more on Seattle Times