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Emergency landing after attack on board

A stabbing attack in the cockpit of a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv forced the service to divert to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the intervention of injured Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar saved the lives of all 174 people on board.

According to Netanyahu, Machchhar was seriously wounded after being stabbed by the co-pilot. Even so, he is said to have resisted, helped open the cockpit door and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker.

  • Flydubai said flight FZ1073 sent out an emergency signal shortly after takeoff on Wednesday morning.
  • The airline said the aircraft landed safely at Tabuk Airport and that all passengers were safe.

What did officials say about the incident and the pilot's condition?

Netanyahu said the unnamed co-pilot was taken into custody in Saudi Arabia after the landing. The prime minister also claimed the attack was linked to an attempt to seize control of the aircraft.

Pilot continues treatment in Tabuk

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said Smit Machchhar was taken to hospital in Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia and received the necessary medical care. The embassy said a more detailed health update was expected, but that initial information indicated the pilot was in a stable condition.

Data from flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed that the service was operated by a Boeing 737 Max 8. No further official details have yet been shared about the incident or the scope of the investigation.

Passengers later flown on to Tel Aviv

Flydubai arranged a separate rescue flight to transport passengers to their destination after the emergency landing in Tabuk. According to the airline, the passengers arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv at 15:34 GMT.

Netanyahu met the passengers at the airport. The images also sparked debate in Israeli domestic politics, with opposition leader Yair Lapid calling the pre-election welcome “cheap politics.”

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