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Flydubai Rescue Flight Lands in Israel After Mid-Air Cockpit Altercation
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Moneycontrol•30-09-2026, 22:20
Flydubai Rescue Flight Lands in Israel After Mid-Air Cockpit Altercation
- •A flydubai rescue flight from Saudi Arabia landed at Ben Gurion International Airport, carrying approximately 180 passengers, mostly Israelis, from an earlier diverted flight.
- •The original Tel Aviv-bound flight was diverted to Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia following a cockpit altercation involving an Indian national pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar.
- •Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that evidence suggests the pilot stabbed his fellow pilot with an intention to crash the plane, calling it an "extremely serious security incident."
- •Netanyahu praised an Israeli passenger and a crew member who intervened to stop the pilot from damaging the plane's systems, averting a "severe disaster."
- •Saudi Arabian authorities are currently interrogating the suspect, and Netanyahu met with National Security Adviser Shmuel Ben Ezra and Military Secretary Maj Gen Guy Markizeno regarding the incident.
Key Questions Answered
A flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced an emergency landing at Tabuk airport following a cockpit altercation where a pilot reportedly stabbed his fellow pilot in an alleged attempt to crash the plane.
An Israeli passenger and a crew member managed to stop the pilot as he attempted to damage the plane's systems, while another crew member entered the cockpit to stabilize the aircraft.
The pilot who was stabbed and severely wounded while trying to prevent the alleged crash attempt was an Indian national named Captain Smit Machchhar, who is based in Dubai.
