The Israeli leader praised an Indian "hero pilot" who resisted a rogue co-pilot despite being stabbed, opening the cockpit door to let others in, thereby successfully preventing the plane from crashing safely.
On 30 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Smit Machchhar, an Indian national and the captain of Flydubai Flight FZ 1073, who was stabbed by the co-pilot while flying to Israel.
Reports say the Omani co-pilot, whose name has not yet been disclosed, used a sharp object to stab Captain Machchhar and tried to cause the plane to crash, but passengers and other crew managed to storm the cockpit and subdue the rogue pilot. A relief pilot then safely landed the plane in Saudi Arabia.
Recently, Prime Minister Netanyahu called Mr. Machchhar a “true hero” who showed “extraordinary courage.”
“Although he was stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and allowed passengers and crew to restrain the attacker, helping to prevent a major air disaster,” Netanyahu posted on X.
Israeli Knesset Speaker Ayelet Ohana also posted on X, saying, “Today, our hearts are with him and his family.”
So far, there has been no official confirmation of the severity of Captain Machchhar’s injuries, but reports indicate his condition is stable. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, stated that medical teams are closely monitoring him and hope for his swift recovery.
Flight FZ 1073 was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the incident occurred. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 shows the plane rapidly dropped about 17,000 feet (5,200 meters), then climbed 5,000 feet, dropped another 7,000 feet, before stabilizing at 15,000 feet—all within under five minutes.
Earlier, a passenger reported hearing “terrifying screams echoing throughout the cabin” before “about 3 to 5 men rushed into the cockpit” and helped restrain the attacker. Another passenger said they took control of the plane from the knifewielding attacker, after which two other pilots in the rear of the plane landed it.
Netanyahu confirmed the rogue pilot was arrested by police after the plane landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Flydubai announced it would suspend all flights between the United Arab Emirates and Israel following the attack.
“Following the incident on Flight FZ 1073 on 30 September and coordination with relevant authorities, Flydubai will temporarily suspend flights to and from Israel while investigations continue,” the airline said in a statement.
“This temporary suspension will allow authorities to continue their work and gather all facts related to the incident... We continue to coordinate closely with government agencies, regulators, and airport stakeholders and will review the suspension as more information becomes available.”
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Source:BBC