Netanyahu likens thwarted Flydubai cockpit attack to a 9/11 disaster
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu likened a violent cockpit struggle aboard a Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight to the September 11 attacks after a rogue co-pilot allegedly attempted to crash the aircraft.
On September 30, an Omani co-pilot reportedly stabbed Indian captain Smit Machchhar aboard Flight FZ1073. The Boeing 737 MAX 8, carrying 174 people from Dubai, plummeted from 33,000 feet to roughly 17,000 feet. The jet lost nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds, a rapid descent that aviation safety experts warned was severe enough to potentially damage the plane’s rudder.
A desperate cockpit struggle
Despite suffering serious injuries, Machchhar unlocked the reinforced flight deck door. Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun alongside other travellers and crew members breached the cockpit to subdue the attacker.
Hayoun pulled back the aircraft controls before two off-duty Flydubai pilots travelling in the cabin took command and stabilised the jet. The flight safely diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia where authorities arrested the suspect. A passenger, dentist Shota Musayev, provided medical care to the wounded captain while others guarded the cabin against further threats.
During a CNN interview, Netanyahu praised the extraordinary actions that prevented a deliberate mass casualty event.
«The amazing heroism here of the Indian pilot, the Israeli passenger and his colleagues, and those pilots managed to prevent a 9/11 disaster,» Netanyahu said.
Investigating the motive
The underlying reason for the attack remains unconfirmed. While Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz labelled the incident an attempted «jihadist terror attack», Netanyahu exercised more caution regarding the motive. The prime minister confirmed general intelligence regarding threats from Iran-backed groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah but acknowledged a lack of specific warnings concerning this particular flight.
Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu stated Israel intends to rigorously investigate the incident to uncover the full truth.
«We’ll get to the root of this attacker, whether he had accomplices, whether Iran was behind it,» Netanyahu said, though he cautioned it was «too early to say» if there was direct evidence linking Tehran to the emergency.
Flydubai has temporarily suspended its Israeli routes and publicly warned against premature speculation regarding the co-pilot’s affiliations. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and Saudi officials are conducting parallel inquiries into the emergency.
Netanyahu confirmed that the UAE agreed to allow Israeli participation in questioning the suspect. Following the incident, Israel announced immediate plans to implement stricter background checks for all foreign pilots operating commercial flights into the country.
