This week we remembered the 40th anniversary of the tragic crash-landing of the Vulcan bomber which fell in a street in Zabbar and killed some residents.
But 30 years ago, another incident took place involving Malta and planes.
A few days before, on 7 October at 1.07pm, Palestinian terrorists captured the cruise liner Achille Lauro as it was leaving Egyptian waters and about to enter Israeli waters.
Arafat sent Abu Abbas to negotiate and by 9 October a bloodless solution seemed to have been found.
The ship was freed and the terrorists together with Abu Abbas were escorted to an Egyptair Boeing.
But in the meantime it was discovered that a crippled passenger had been killed and thrown overboard.
The American reaction was massive and instantaneous. President Ronald Reagan, who was flying from Chicago to Washington, decided to take unilateral action and intercept the plane.
Four F-14 Tomcats took off from USS Saratoga and caught up with the plane as it flew over Malta.
At 11.50pm on 10 October, the White House called Italian premier Bettino Craxi and informed him that the Boeing had been intercepted and obliged to fly towards Italy and would land at Sigonella in Sicily in a few minutes’ time. America wanted the terrorists and Abu Abbas to be handed over so that they could be flown to the US.
But Craxi refused. The terrorists had attacked an Italian ship in international waters and must face justice in Italy. Besides, Abu Abbas was an intermediary and not an accomplice, even if the terrorists came from his group.
The F-14 forced the plane to land at Sigonella. The Italian authorities allowed the plane to land only because the plane said it had no fuel to go anywhere else.
When the Egyptair Boeing landed it was swiftly surrounded by 50 Italian soldiers who in turn were surrounded by a Delta Force detachment led by General Carl Steiner who arrived on two Lockheed C-141 Starlifter of the US Navy.
In turn, the Americans were surrounded by Italian police who had come from Catania and Syracuse.
The stand-off lasted some time and in the end, Reagan gave in and the four terrorists were handed over to the Italians and transferred to Rome.
Soon after this ‘Sigonella Night’ in which Craxi may have been the only leader of the West to stand up to the USA, Craxi was removed and forced into exile. The ‘Sigonella Night’ marked the beginning of the end for Craxi.