A plane with over 150 passengers on board, flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Saudi Arabia yesterday after a report of "unlawful interference" was filed. It later became clear that one of the pilots stabbed the other with a knife and tried to crash the plane.
Great Britain
One of the pilots on a flight of the airline "Flydubai" for Israel stabbed the other and tried to crash the plane, the British newspaper "Financial Times" wrote in a headline.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the pilot of the "Flydubai" plane, which was carrying more than 150 passengers, attacked his colleague and "apparently tried to crash the plane".
According to the flight tracking system "Flightradar24" (Flightradar24), the "Flydubai" plane stabilized after a sharp descent and issued the extremely rare "unlawful interference" signal, which can be used to signal a hijacking.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes as passengers rushed into the cockpit and helped break up a fight between the pilots.
"Flydubai" said the crew "successfully controlled" the plane after "interference" and "diverted and landed it safely" in the northwestern Saudi city of Tabuk.
The reason for the pilot's actions is not yet clear. An Israeli official said the pilot was an Omani citizen and described the incident as a planned "9/11-style" attack.
The pilot accused in the case is being questioned in Saudi Arabia as Israeli authorities investigate whether the incident was an attempted terrorist attack, another British publication, the Guardian, headlined.
Witnesses described chaos aboard the Flydubai plane as the attacker tried to barricade himself and the injured co-pilot in the cockpit, then tried to disable the flight controls, forcing the plane to descend 5,000 meters in just two minutes.
Passenger Yaniv Hayun later described how he and other passengers heard screams and felt increased pressure as the plane descended before penetrated the cockpit and found the attacker in front of the dashboard.
“I grabbed the attacker, grabbed him by the throat and pulled him out first“, Hayun said during a meeting with Netanyahu after the plane landed safely and the passengers were transferred to Israel. “He was trying to destroy the equipment to put the plane out of action”, the passenger added.
As other passengers struggled with the attacker, Hayun said he grabbed the control sticks and pulled them just as he had seen on television. Other crew members then took control, the Guardian reports.
The stabbed pilot has been identified as Indian national Captain Smith Machar, who is said to have raised the alarm and opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers to rush inside and disarm the attacker.
USA
"Flydubai" suspends flights to and from Israel after pilot stabbed on Tel Aviv flight, Politico headlines.
All passengers arrived safely in Tel Aviv yesterday evening after "Flydubai" sent backup planes to Tabuk.
"This temporary suspension will allow the competent authorities to continue their work and establish all the facts related to the incident," said Flydubai, one of the largest aviation operators in the Middle East.
On social media, Netanyahu called the injured co-pilot, Captain Smith Machar, a "true hero" for opening the cockpit door and allowing passengers and crew to attack the attacker and secure control of the plane. The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia said in Aix that Machar was hospitalized in the kingdom in stable condition.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that he had spoken to Netanyahu about the attack and that the attacker appeared to be either a "terrorist or maybe some kind of madman".
Many of the details surrounding the incident remain unclear as authorities investigate the cause.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel since 2020, and according to media reports, the UAE government tried to warn Israel of an impending attack by "Hamas" on October 7, 2023. Netanyahu visited the UAE for talks over the weekend, "Politico" notes.
The "unlawful interference" alert, which is used to warn of a possible hijacking, caused alarm at the highest level, with the Israeli Air Force sending fighter jets to the passenger plane, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his top security officials holding emergency meetings, another American publication, the "Washington Post", said.
About an hour after the initial "unlawful interference" alert Netanyahu's office issued a statement saying that "the incident is under control and all means are being used to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel." An Israeli military official said the jets had returned. The incident briefly raised concerns about the ongoing US war with Iran and brought back memories of the 1960s and 1970s, when flights to and from Israel were often hijacked by Palestinian militants. The hijackings have since declined significantly, thanks to improved security at airports and on board planes, according to the Washington Post. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the hijacker a "hero" the Indian pilot, who was attacked by his co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 people on board, writes the French newspaper "Figaro".
"Faced with a terrible threat and despite being seriously injured, he did not hesitate and showed incredible courage and determination to save the lives of others. His bravery helped save hundreds of lives and avert a major tragedy," Modi said in an article in Ex.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, congratulated Israeli plumber Yaniv Hayun yesterday, who is credited with helping neutralize the attacker against the captain of the passenger plane from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
"An incredible act of heroism – on his part, on the part of the Indian pilot and on the part of the people who helped them. "They prevented a catastrophe that could have been global," Netanyahu told Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Netanyahu said it was too early to say who was behind the failed attempt to shoot down the Flydubai flight, but added that it was "possible" for Israel to join the investigation, Le Figaro reported.
"It's too early to say. Saudi Arabia is currently investigating the pilot who carried out the attack. I assume he will be transferred to the UAE, which is also his home country. We will monitor the investigation and it is possible we will join it," the Israeli prime minister said.