Injured Indian pilot stable after cockpit knife attack on Tel Aviv flight

UPDATE - follow-up to Pilot stabbed colleague in bid to crash Israel-bound flydubai plane: Netanyahu: Following an onboard attack, flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv safely landed in Saudi Arabia after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the aircraft.

Flight Details

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was carrying about 170 people, including around 160 Israeli citizens. Roughly two hours and fifteen minutes into the journey, a confrontation broke out in the cockpit. According to Israeli officials, the co-pilot, identified as an Omani national, attacked the captain with a knife. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the jet plummeted from 34,000 feet to about 16,600 feet in roughly a minute, transmitting a general emergency code and later an unlawful interference code. Israel scrambled fighter jets due to hijacking fears during the erratic descent near the Jordanian border.

Intervention And Arrest

The injured captain opened the cockpit door, allowing a passenger and crew members to enter and overpower the attacker. Indian reports from i24NEWS and Israel Hayom identified the injured captain as an Indian national named Smit Machchhar, who is now in a stable condition after undergoing surgery in Saudi Arabia. On-duty flydubai crew members travelling on the flight also helped secure the aircraft. Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot, and both pilots were taken to hospital for medical treatment.

Context

Emergency landings in Saudi Arabia for Israel-bound flights highlight rare instances of cross-border cooperation despite a lack of formal diplomatic ties between the two nations. Aviation security protocols strictly govern cockpit access and emergency transponder usage during mid-air security threats.