A pilot has been arrested after allegedly stabbing a fellow pilot during a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv and apparently attempting to crash the aircraft.
The incident unfolded aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, which departed Dubai International Airport at 03:05 GMT (07:05 local time) bound for Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport.
Carrying more than 170 passengers and crew, the aircraft was about two and a half hours into its journey when the attack took place, BBC reports.
According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, passengers and crew members managed to overpower the suspect and regain control of the situation. The aircraft was then diverted and landed safely at an airport in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Most of the passengers on board were Israeli nationals.
The injured pilot was identified as Indian citizen Captain Smit Machchhar. He was taken to hospital following the incident and is reported to be in stable condition. Israeli and Indian leaders have since praised his actions during the emergency.
In a post on X, Netanyahu said that despite being stabbed and seriously wounded, Captain Machchhar fought back, resisted the attacker, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to subdue the suspect.
“Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker, preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster,” Netanyahu wrote, adding that the pilot’s actions saved the lives of 174 people on board.
The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed that Captain Machchhar remains in stable condition in hospital.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hailed the pilot’s courage, saying he displayed exceptional bravery and determination to protect others despite suffering serious injuries.
“In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others,” Modi wrote on X. “India is proud of Captain Machchhar.”
Saudi authorities launched an investigation after the incident. Netanyahu told Fox News on Wednesday night that no motive had yet been established for the attack. He said the arrested pilot was being investigated in Saudi Arabia and was expected to be returned to the United Arab Emirates, where the flight originated.
Netanyahu added that Israel was likely to assist in the investigation.
US President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Netanyahu following the incident and suggested the attacker may have been a terrorist, though he noted that other motives could also have been involved.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the incident as an “attempted jihadist terror attack” but did not provide further details or evidence to support the claim.
Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft made a rapid descent over Saudi Arabia during the emergency, dropping more than 17,000 feet (about 5,000 metres) in less than two minutes before ultimately landing safely in Tabuk. Passengers were later flown to Tel Aviv on a repatriation flight, arriving in Israel on Wednesday.
