Jerusalem, October 1: Saudi authorities have arrested a pilot after an alleged mid-air attack on a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
The incident took place aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 on Wednesday as the aircraft was approaching Israel. According to Netanyahu, the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and appeared to attempt to take control of the aircraft and crash it.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8, carrying 174 people, was forced to make an emergency landing at Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia after the incident. The aircraft had reportedly experienced a sharp loss of altitude during the emergency.
The injured captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, managed to resist the attacker and open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and overpower the co-pilot. Two off-duty Flydubai pilots who were travelling on the flight subsequently helped regain control of the aircraft.
Netanyahu praised Machchhar and the passengers for their actions, saying their intervention helped prevent what could have been a major disaster. He later met one of the passengers who had helped restrain the attacker after the aircraft landed.
Saudi authorities took the suspected attacker into custody after the emergency landing and began questioning him, Netanyahu said. The identity and nationality of the arrested pilot have not been independently confirmed by all authorities.
Flydubai described the incident as an altercation in the cockpit and said the crew managed to divert and safely land the aircraft. The airline has suspended flights to and from Israel while investigations continue.
The United Arab Emirates’ aviation regulator has also opened an investigation into the incident. Israeli authorities said they would review security procedures and strengthen checks on pilots operating flights into the country.
The motive behind the alleged attack remains unclear. Authorities in Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the cockpit incident and the actions of the suspected attacker.
All passengers were eventually flown from Saudi Arabia to Israel on a separate Flydubai aircraft. Captain Machchhar was taken to a hospital in Tabuk for treatment and was reported to be in stable condition.
The incident has prompted renewed questions about cockpit security and pilot screening, while investigators continue to establish exactly what happened during the flight.
