By JNS
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed the captain of a flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, who was stabbed by his co-pilot on Wednesday in what Israeli authorities are treating as a terrorist attack.
“In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured,” Modi wrote on X, Capt. Smit Machchhar “showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others.”
His courage helped “save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy,” Modi wrote, adding: “India is proud of Captain Machchhar. Praying for his speedy recovery, renewed strength and good health.”
Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, on Wednesday morning transmitted emergency signals that raised fears of a hijacking. It was diverted to Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Wednesday evening that one of the pilots had stabbed the other and “apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board.” Almost all the passengers were Israelis, he noted.
An Israeli passenger told Netanyahu the plane “went into a spin and began to dive.” The passenger and a crew member broke into the cockpit and subdued the pilot as he tried to sabotage the plane’s systems. Another pilot who happened to be on board then stabilized the aircraft, which had suffered rudder damage during the incident.
The pilot was arrested and is being questioned by Saudi authorities, Netanyahu said.
Mossad probes suspected plot to crash flydubai plane
Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency has taken the lead in probing the suspected midair plot.
The Boeing 737 MAX made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a violent altercation broke out in the cockpit. Both pilots sustained injuries and were hospitalized locally, while video footage emerged showing a wounded passenger bleeding.
Jerusalem is coordinating with regional authorities to secure flight clearances for an Israeli Air Force transport plane to repatriate the stranded passengers, who will face debriefing by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) upon arrival.
The incident triggered sharp reactions across Israel’s political spectrum, with senior government officials framing the airborne struggle as an attempted mass-casualty terrorist attack.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared that Israel must treat the incident as premeditated murder, calling for any state sponsor or terrorist organization behind the suspect to face severe retribution. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir hailed the intervention of passengers and crew as miraculous, arguing that the episode underscores the imperative to escalate operations against regional adversaries across Iran, Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid pushed back against rumors circulating in Hebrew media that the airborne emergency had been discussed during his Tuesday night security briefing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Lapid insisted that the situation was neither mentioned nor hinted at during their security consultation, dismissing subsequent leaks as reckless political manipulation at the expense of national defense.
Investigations into the suspect’s motives remain underway by Saudi and Israeli intelligence officials.
Regev seeks flydubai flight freeze after cockpit attack
Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev requested that the Israel Civil Aviation Authority investigate whether flydubai breached bilateral aviation agreements.
Regev demanded a freeze on the Emirati carrier’s flights to Israel pending the inquiry, as officials probe how a co-pilot of suspected Omani origin was cleared for the route.
Under existing bilateral accords, only pilots holding passports from nations with formal diplomatic ties to the Jewish state may land in Israel. Israeli authorities are examining whether the suspect, who has worked for the airline for under a year, held dual citizenship to bypass strict individual security screenings imposed on foreign flight crews from Gulf and Arab states.
According to a senior Israeli official cited in the report, the co-pilot stabbed the flight’s chief pilot and attempted to deliberately crash the aircraft before other crew members and passengers overpowered him and regained control. The incident triggered a sharp dispute between Regev and Israel Security Agency head David Zini over whether to halt air links between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, according to Channel 12.
The aircraft diverted to Saudi Arabia, where both pilots were subsequently hospitalized.