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FlyDubai Attack Triggers India's Aviation Security Review: Psychometric Tests, Sky Marshals Eyed
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News18•01-10-2026, 10:57
FlyDubai Attack Triggers India's Aviation Security Review: Psychometric Tests, Sky Marshals Eyed
- •India's aviation security is undergoing an intensive review following the FlyDubai incident where a co-pilot attacked the Indian pilot-in-command, Captain Smit Machchhar, causing critical injuries and a hijack scare.
- •The review will revisit Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) for general aviation security, including psychometric tests for pilots and the deployment of Sky Marshals on sensitive flight sectors.
- •The incident has prompted an audit of India's aviation security apparatus, examining the roles of airlines, security agencies like CISF and NSG, and regulators such as BCAS and DGCA.
- •Airlines regularly conduct psychometric tests to assess pilots' psychological fitness, a mandate from the country's aviation regulator.
- •Sky Marshals, armed commandos with specialized lightweight weapons, are deployed on sensitive flights to intervene in hijack situations, with their deployment reviewed based on threat perception.
Key Questions Answered
An incident on a FlyDubai flight where the co-pilot attacked the Indian pilot-in-command, Captain Smit Machchhar, critically injuring him and causing a hijack scare on Wednesday triggered the security review in India.
Sky Marshals are armed commandos with specialised light-weight weapons deployed to intervene during a hijack situation and neutralise threats on board while causing the least damage to the aircraft.
Passengers onboard flight FZ1073 intervened and held the co-pilot down while other pilots landed the aircraft safely after diverting it to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.
