During a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, an Indian pilot suffered serious injuries in a knife attack; however, passengers and crew brought the attacker under control and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
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Authorities are now examining what the motive was and whether the incident may be linked to terrorism.
The incident was recorded on Wednesday on flight number FZ1073, which was carrying 174 people from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
After about two hours of flight, the plane’s altitude dropped by approximately 17,000 feet; an emergency signal was then issued and the hijack alarm was activated.
Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who was injured in the scuffle, is in stable condition in hospital. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have openly praised him for his actions during the incident.
Passenger accounts show that Machchhar, although wounded, managed to open the cockpit door, which allowed passengers and crew to react.
Yaniv Hayun, one of the passengers, recounted that he grabbed the attacker to stop him, while other passengers helped neutralize him and tie his hands. Published accounts show that the attacker was aiming to interfere with the plane’s controls.
After that, the crew regained control of the aircraft and directed it toward Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. According to Flydubai, two crew members who were on duty helped land the plane.
The suspect was detained in Saudi Arabia and is expected to be handed over to the authorities of the United Arab Emirates, the country from which the flight departed. In the Emirates, authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, including the possibility that it may be linked to terrorism.
According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it is still too early to say whether Iran had any part in this incident.
Asked whether there are signs of Iranian involvement, Netanyahu replied: “It is too early to say.” He added that the suspect was being questioned in Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the incident as a suspected terrorist attack with a jihadist motive, while U.S. President Donald Trump said the attacker may have been a terrorist or may have acted for a different reason.
