Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that it is too early to determine who was behind the foiled attempt by a co-pilot to crash an Emirati flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The incident occurred on Flydubai flight FZ1073, which took off from Dubai International Airport in the UAE at 03:05 GMT en route to Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel. Netanyahu made the comments in response to questions from Fox News about possible Iranian involvement.
The attacking pilot, who has not been publicly identified, was arrested in Saudi Arabia after the plane made an emergency landing. Netanyahu said he expected the pilot to be taken to the United Arab Emirates, where the plane took off, to face investigation. The pilot stabbed the other pilot, Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, who managed to fight back and enable passengers and crew to overpower the attacker.
Passengers and crew on board the flight have described the harrowing experience of overpowering the attacker. Shaken passengers burst into the cockpit and wrestled with the attacker as the aircraft descended sharply. Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, Captain Machchhar fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker, preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster.
Netanyahu praised Captain Machchhar as a "hero" and said Israel did not have any warning or advance intelligence about the incident. US President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Netanyahu following the incident, suggesting the attacker may have been a terrorist. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also called it an "attempted jihadist terror attack".
The plane, carrying 174 people, mostly Israeli passengers, landed safely at an airport in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia. The passengers were repatriated to Israel on a later flight, arriving in Tel Aviv at around 18:40 local time. They were greeted at the airport by crowds of onlookers playing music, singing, dancing, and waving Israeli flags.
Netanyahu and Indian leader Narendra Modi praised Captain Machchhar for his bravery. Modi wrote on X that Machchhar showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia reported that Machchhar was in a stable condition in hospital.
Flydubai said in a statement that the flight was "successfully secured by on-duty Flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk airport". The airline's immediate priority is to ensure the ongoing safety, health, and wellbeing of all passengers and crew members involved in this incident and support the official investigation.
Key points
- The incident is being investigated, but Netanyahu says it's too early to determine who was behind the attack.
- Captain Smit Machchhar, the stabbed pilot, has been praised as a hero for his bravery during the incident.
- The passengers and crew on board the flight showed extraordinary resourcefulness and courage in overpowering the attacker and preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster.
