A FlyDubai Boeing 737 bound for Tel Aviv was attacked on Wednesday when the co‑pilot, an Omani national, stabbed the captain and attempted to seize control of the aircraft. Passengers and crew wrestled the assailant, while the captain, Smit Machchhar, fought to keep the plane airborne and opened the cockpit door so passengers could restrain the attacker. The aircraft descended sharply before regaining control and was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, for an emergency landing.
The Indian pilot, Smit Mathur, was stabbed during the confrontation but survived. Capt. Machchhar later reported to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he had to recover himself in order to save the passengers, describing how the attack forced him to fight for his life and the lives of those on board.
Senior UAE adviser Anwar Gargash, an aide to President Mohammed bin Zayed, described the incident as an “act of terrorism” and praised the Indian pilot’s courage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co‑pilot had undergone “radical Islamist indoctrination” and was clearly suicidal, while warning that whoever had sent the attacker would face a “heavy price.”
Following the attack, FlyDubai suspended all flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv while authorities investigate the cockpit incident. Israeli airlines El Al, Israir and Arkia are arranging rescue flights from Dubai to bring stranded passengers back, and the Israeli transport ministry has requested increased flights from Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi.
Israel is also preparing repatriation flights to return passengers stranded in the United Arab Emirates after commercial travel between the two countries was suspended. The incident has drawn international attention, with U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Modi hailing the Indian pilot as a hero for averting a potential disaster.
