A pilot aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv has been arrested after allegedly stabbing his co-pilot and attempting to crash the aircraft, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated. Passengers and crew members managed to overpower the assailant and regain control of the plane, which landed safely in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia, with over 170 people on board.
Emergency Landing and Passenger Accounts
The flight, FZ1073, departed from Dubai and was en route to Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel. Approximately two and a half hours into the journey, flight tracking data indicated a rapid descent over Saudi Arabia. The aircraft then broadcasted an emergency code, followed by a hijacking alert, before diverting to Saudi Arabia and landing. The plane later returned to broadcasting the general emergency code.
Netanyahu described the incident as a "very serious security incident" and praised the stabbed pilot, identified as Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, for his "extraordinary bravery." According to the prime minister, despite being severely injured, Machchhar resisted the attacker, enabling the door to the cockpit to be opened. This allowed passengers and crew to subdue the assailant and prevent what Netanyahu called a "catastrophic mid-air disaster."
Passengers recounted how they intervened after the stabbing and the plane's subsequent erratic descent. One passenger, Yaniv Hayun, told Netanyahu that he placed the attacker in a chokehold, and other passengers helped to restrain him. Hayun also stated he pulled at the plane's controls, helping to level the aircraft before another pilot took over.
Aftermath and Responses
Flydubai confirmed that an "altercation occurred in the flight deck" and that the flight was "successfully secured by on-duty Flydubai crew travelling on the flight." The airline stated its priority is the safety and well-being of all involved and to support the investigation.
The passengers, predominantly Israeli, arrived in Tel Aviv on a repatriation flight, where they were met with emotional reunions.
While Netanyahu did not officially state a motive, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called it an "attempted jihadist terror attack." Former US President Donald Trump, who spoke with Netanyahu following the incident, commented that the attacker might have been a "terrorist" or that other reasons could be behind the attack.
Captain Machchhar is reported to be in stable condition in a hospital in Saudi Arabia, according to the Indian embassy. The incident prompted urgent consultations by Netanyahu and saw Israeli and Saudi Arabian air forces dispatch fighter jets.