Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that a pilot on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the aircraft, which was carrying over 170 passengers. Netanyahu described the incident involving Flydubai Flight FZ1073 as a "highly severe security incident". The flight was traveling from Dubai International Airport to Tel Aviv when the confrontation erupted in the cockpit.
According to Netanyahu, the pilot who was attacked, identified as Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was stabbed but managed to fight back and open the cockpit door. A passenger and a crew member then entered the cockpit and helped restrain the alleged attacker. The incident occurred on September 30, 2026, and Netanyahu praised the passengers and crew who intervened, saying their actions prevented a major disaster.
The aircraft transmitted three emergency signals during the incident, including one indicating possible unlawful interference, before it was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft undergoing a dramatic descent, dropping nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal was transmitted. The plane eventually descended about 17,000 feet over a longer period as the emergency unfolded.
Netanyahu said a passenger had recounted that the aircraft had entered a tailspin and begun to dive, with the alleged attacker attempting to interfere with the aircraft's systems. The passengers and crew's intervention prevented a heavy disaster, Netanyahu said in a video statement. Israel scrambled fighter jets in response to the incident, while Netanyahu held security consultations as authorities assessed the situation.
The suspected attacker, identified as an Omani national, was arrested by Saudi authorities after the plane landed. The wounded captain, covered in blood and lying on the cockpit floor, had managed to activate the cockpit-door release, enabling passengers and crew to enter. The passengers spent about eight hours in Saudi Arabia before continuing their journey to Israel aboard a replacement Flydubai aircraft.
Flydubai confirmed that an altercation had taken place in the flight deck and that its crew had safely landed the aircraft in Tabuk. Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Katz, described the episode as an attempted terror attack, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Israel's aviation security measures to be strengthened. Transportation Minister, Miri Regev, also called for Flydubai flights to Israel to be suspended pending an investigation into the incident.
The motive and circumstances surrounding the cockpit confrontation remain unknown and are subject to investigation. Netanyahu's statement provided a detailed account of the incident, but authorities have not yet disclosed further information about the alleged attacker or the reason behind the attempted crash. The incident is under investigation.
Key points
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that a pilot on a Flydubai flight stabbed the captain and tried to crash the plane.
- The incident occurred on Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, carrying over 170 passengers.
- The suspected attacker, an Omani national, was arrested by Saudi authorities after the plane landed safely in Tabuk.
