A Flydubai flight carrying 174 people from the United Arab Emirates to Israel on Wednesday was forced into an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after its co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the aircraft.
The Boeing 737, operating as flight FZ1073, lost nearly half its altitude in about a minute as passengers, most of them Israelis, feared for their lives. The wounded captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, managed to open the cockpit door, allowing a passenger and crew member to enter and restrain the attacker.
The emergency occurred a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin warned of possible attacks ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. Netanyahu said Israel had indications that its “enemies” could attempt attacks before the poll, but did not provide details about the nature of the alleged threat, reported Al Jazeera.
The Flydubai aircraft departed in the United Arab Emirates for Tel Aviv, Israel, carrying 174 people. The distress call came roughly two and a half hours into the flight, at 8:44 am local time.
Officials later said a fight broke out inside the cockpit. The co-pilot, an Omani national, allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the aircraft.
The incident triggered an emergency situation on board as the plane began rapidly losing altitude.
The aircraft descended from about 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet, roughly 10,000 metres to 5,100 metres, in about a minute.
The plane then circled near the Jordanian border before eventually heading toward Saudi Arabia.
Despite being wounded, Captain managed to open the cockpit door. A passenger and a crew member rushed inside and restrained the attacker, while other crew members took control of the aircraft.
The aircraft landed at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport, about an hour after the distress call.
A person who heard communications between the aircraft and air traffic control told AP that Saudi Arabia and Jordan initially turned the aircraft away before it was eventually allowed to land in Tabuk. The source spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to speak publicly.
A replacement Flydubai aircraft transported the passengers from Tabuk to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. The flight arrived at about 15:34 GMT (9:04 pm IST), according to Al Jazeera.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing a passenger he had spoken to, said the pilot’s action had “enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker, preventing a catastrophic midair disaster.”
The cockpit door is normally kept locked during flight as a key aviation security measure, a practice that became standard after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Machchhar, who is from Mumbai, has received praise for his actions during the emergency.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the captain Machchhar “hero” and lauded him for his bravery, saying he displayed exceptional courage and remained determined to protect others despite sustaining serious injuries in the face of grave danger.
He added Machchhar’s bravery helped save hundreds of lives and prevented a major tragedy.
The suspect is an Omani citizen and was arrested following the incident, according to a regional official briefed on the investigation who spoke to AP anonymously.
The UAE government said its investigation team had begun examining the incident, noting that the aircraft is registered in the UAE and that UAE law applies to crimes committed on board, even outside the country’s territory.
The motive remains unclear.
A regional official said investigators were examining “all possible scenarios, from terrorism to mental disorders”, adding that “Nothing is ruled out for now.”
Israeli intelligence and security officials were also investigating the co-pilot in Saudi Arabia, according to another regional official cited by AP.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have yet to publicly establish why the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain or attempted to bring down the aircraft.
