(1)A person on board an aircraft in flight who unlawfully, by the use of force or by threats of any kind, seizes the aircraft or exercises control of it commits the offence of hijacking, whatever his nationality, whatever the State in which the aircraft is registered and whether the aircraft is in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, but subject to subsection (2) below.
(2)If—
(a)the aircraft is used in military, customs or police ser vice, or
(b)both the place of take-off and the place of landing are in the territory of the State in which the aircraft is registered,
subsection (1) above shall not apply unless—
(i)the person seizing or exercising control of the aircraft is a United Kingdom national; or
(ii)his act is committed in the United Kingdom; or
(iii)the aircraft is registered in the United Kingdom or is used in the military or customs service of the United Kingdom or in the service of any police force in the United Kingdom.
(3)A person who commits the offence of hijacking shall be liable, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life.
(4)If the Secretary of State by order made by statutory instrument declares—
(a)that any two or more States named in the order have established an organisation or agency which operates aircraft; and
(b)that one of those States has been designated as exercising, for aircraft so operated, the powers of the State of registration,
the State declared under paragraph (b) of this subsection shall be deemed for the purposes of this section to be the State in which any aircraft so operated is registered; but in relation to such an aircraft subsection (2)(b) above shall have effect as if it referred to the territory of any one of the States named in the order.
(5)For the purposes of this section the territorial waters of any State shall be treated as part of its territory.