ع
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Captain Smit Machchhar as a “true hero” after the Indian national was stabbed by his co-pilot during the incident on the Israel-bound aircraft. “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,” Netanyahu wrote on X. The prime minister added that Machchhar saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals, and wished him a speedy recovery.
The attack occurred roughly two and a half hours into Flydubai flight FZ1073 as the Boeing 737 crossed into Jordanian airspace, according to data compiled by multiple outlets and passenger accounts. The aircraft then plummeted about 17,000 feet in less than two minutes before reversing course over northern Saudi Arabia near the Jordanian border. A passenger interviewed by The Times of Israel said he heard screams from the cockpit, after which a crew member threw the attacker out and several Israelis jumped on him.
Yaniv Hayun, one of the passengers who intervened, told Netanyahu in a video released by the prime minister’s office that he placed the attacker in a chokehold, dragged him from the cockpit and helped secure the aircraft. Other passengers, including Shota Musayev and Tzvika Manes, assisted by tying up the assailant with headphones and cable ties while treating the wounded pilot’s injuries to his head and hands. Two off-duty pilots who had been seated in the cabin then took over the controls and stabilized the plane, preventing further descent.
The jet landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia shortly before 7 a.m. local time, where Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot, reported to be an Omani national, and began questioning him. Captain Machchhar was hospitalized in stable condition, the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed. Video footage from inside the aircraft showed bloodied individuals on the cockpit floor as passengers and crew provided immediate assistance.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz characterized the event as an attempted jihadist terror attack that was only foiled through the bravery of the passengers who stormed the cockpit. Several travelers described moments of intense fear, with one telling The New York Times that he thought “September 11 is happening again” during the uncontrolled descent. A paramedic from Israel’s ambulance service noted that many passengers were emotional and crying upon disembarking a later repatriation flight to Tel Aviv.
Flydubai announced it was suspending all flights to and from Israel while the incident undergoes investigation, the carrier said in a statement. Captain Machchhar had accumulated 13 years of experience as a pilot, including more than four with Flydubai, and lived in Dubai, according to reporting by The Times of India that was echoed across regional coverage. Netanyahu’s office separately praised the Israeli passengers for their resourcefulness in subduing the attacker and regaining control of the aircraft.
