A FORMER AIRLINE PILOT CONCLUDES THAT HIJACKING WILL INCREASE AND THREATEN TRAVEL THROUGHOUT THE WORLD UNTIL PREVENTIVE MEASURES ARE ADOPTED. HIJACKINGS ARE EXPENSIVE FOR COMMERCIAL AIRLINES BECAUSE OF COSTS INCURRED IN RETURNING PASSENGERS TO THEIR DESTINATIONS AND THEIR DETERRENT EFFECT ON AIR TRAVEL. SOME PILOTS HAVE ASKED THE FEDERAL AVIATION AGENCY (FAA) TO PERMIT THEM TO CARRY ARMS, BUT THIS HAS BEEN OPPOSED BY THE FAA AND AIRLINE OFFICIALS. LEGAL PARALLELS CONCERNING HIJACKING CAN BE FOUND ONLY IN PIRACY ON THE SEA WHICH IS CONDEMNED BY INTERNATIONAL LAW. A CONVENTION WAS DRAFTED IN TOKYO, JAPAN, WHICH MADE HIJACKING AN INTERNATIONAL CRIME AND STATED THAT CRIMES COMMITTED ON AN AIRCRAFT FELL UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE NATION UNDER WHOSE FLAG THE PLANE FEW. BUT SINCE MOST HIJACKINGS ARE FOR POLITICAL REASONS, ASYLUM AND EXTRADITION POSE MAJOR PROBLEMS. STILL HIJACKING ENDANGERS INNOCENT LIVES; AS SUCH IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN INTERNATIONAL CRIME AND NOT AN ACCEPTABLE METHOD FOR GAINING POLITICAL ASLYUM. THE TOKYO CONVENTION WAS SIGNED BY 29 NATIONS, BUT ONLY 8 HAD RATIFIED IT AS OF FEBRUARY 1969. (MJM)