A combo of Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu and Flydubai plane Photo: Inshot
By Our Reporter
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has commended Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his bravery after he was reportedly stabbed during a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu, in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, said Machchhar fought back despite sustaining serious injuries and helped passengers and crew members overpower the attacker.
“My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery.
“Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster.
“He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals.
“I wish Captain Machchhar a speedy and full recovery.
“He is a true hero,” Netanyahu said.
The BBC had earlier reported that a Flydubai pilot was arrested after allegedly stabbing another pilot and attempting to interfere with the aircraft’s controls during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
The flight, FZ1073, was subsequently diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
According to reports, the aircraft dropped about 17,000 feet within two minutes during the incident, prompting an emergency response.
Netanyahu had earlier said passengers and crew members intervened after the attack, with one passenger and another crew member entering the cockpit and helping to overpower the attacker.
Flydubai confirmed that an altercation occurred in the flight deck while the aircraft was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport.
The airline said the aircraft was secured by the crew and diverted to Tabuk, with all passengers and crew members accounted for.
Flydubai subsequently sent two replacement aircraft to Tabuk to transport the passengers and crew.
The airline said the reasons and motives behind the confrontation were not immediately known and would be established through a formal investigation.
Passengers reportedly described scenes of panic after the aircraft began losing altitude, with some saying several people entered the cockpit after hearing screams and helped subdue the attacker.
The Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Katz, had described the incident as an attempted jihadist terror attack, saying initial indications suggested that the pilot intended to crash the aircraft.
However, the motive had not been established, while Flydubai urged against premature speculation as investigations continued.
The incident occurred as the aircraft was travelling towards Israel. Flight-tracking data reportedly showed that the plane issued emergency signals before turning away from its scheduled route and diverting to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia.
Following the safe landing, Flydubai said its immediate priority was the safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew members as authorities investigated the circumstances surrounding the incident.
