Flydubai flight FZ1073, en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a confrontation inside the cockpit. All 174 people on board survived; Captain Smit Machchhar was hospitalised with stab wounds.
According to Israeli officials, the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to interfere with the aircraft’s controls in an apparent bid to crash it. Flight-tracking data cited by Reuters showed the aircraft dropping nearly 14,000 feet in about 30 seconds before the situation was brought under control.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that despite his injuries, Captain Machchhar fought back and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter and overpower the attacker. Calling him a “true hero”, Netanyahu said the pilot’s bravery saved the lives of 174 people, most of them Israeli nationals.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu also praised Machchhar’s courage, and US President Donald Trump commended him as well. The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said the pilot is being treated at a hospital in Tabuk and is in stable condition.
Israeli officials said the attacker, an Omani national serving as co-pilot, was taken into custody by Saudi authorities and an investigation is under way. Flydubai, however, said the cause of the incident remained unclear and cautioned against “premature speculation”.
Following the incident, Israel announced tighter checks on pilots operating flights into the country. The passengers reached Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport on a replacement flydubai aircraft more than ten hours later.
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