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A pilot has been taken into custody after allegedly stabbing his co-pilot aboard a Flydubai passenger jet bound for Israel and reportedly attempting to bring the aircraft down, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The dramatic sequence of events unfolded high over Saudi Arabian airspace, prompting an emergency diversion and raising urgent questions about aviation security and the motivations behind the attack.
The flight, identified as FZ1073, had departed Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates at 03:05 GMT — 07:05 local time — carrying more than 170 people toward Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel. The passengers were described as almost entirely Israeli citizens, making the incident a matter of immediate concern for Israeli authorities, who scrambled to respond as the situation developed.
According to Netanyahu's account, the assailant "apparently tried to crash the plane" after attacking the other pilot. The prime minister praised the wounded pilot, identified as Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, as a "true hero" who displayed "extraordinary bravery" in the face of grave danger. Netanyahu wrote on the social media platform X that despite being stabbed and seriously injured, Machchhar fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to subdue the attacker — actions that the Israeli leader said prevented "a catastrophic mid-air disaster."
Netanyahu stated that the captain's actions saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals. The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed that Machchhar was in stable condition in hospital, providing some reassurance about his recovery after the ordeal. The fact that the pilot was able to act decisively despite his injuries has been widely credited as the pivotal factor in averting a tragedy.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 revealed the frightening trajectory of the aircraft during the incident. Roughly two and a half hours into the journey, the plane entered a rapid descent over Saudi Arabia, dropping more than 17,000 feet — over 5,000 metres — in less than two minutes. Such a steep and sudden loss of altitude would have been terrifying for those on board and would have immediately signalled to ground controllers that something was seriously wrong.
Minutes after the descent began, the aircraft transmitted an emergency transponder code — squawk 7700 — before switching to squawk 7500, the internationally recognised signal for a hijacking. Approximately twenty minutes after these codes were sent, the plane turned back into Saudi Arabian airspace and commenced a manual descent for landing. Less than an hour later, the aircraft returned to squawk 7700, suggesting the immediate threat had been contained.
In response to the unfolding emergency, both the Israeli and Saudi Arabian air forces dispatched fighter jets, while Netanyahu convened urgent consultations with security officials. The cross-border nature of the incident — involving a UAE-based airline, Saudi airspace, an Indian pilot, and predominantly Israeli passengers — underscored its sensitivity and the complex diplomatic dimensions at play.
Initial media reports suggested that a fight had broken out between the aircraft's two pilots, leading to the rapid descent and emergency landing. However, as eyewitness accounts emerged in the hours after the plane touched down in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, a clearer and more disturbing picture took shape. Netanyahu and multiple passengers confirmed that one pilot had stabbed the other and, according to the Israeli prime minister, apparently attempted to crash the aircraft.
Flydubai issued a statement confirming that "an altercation occurred in the flight deck" and that the flight was "successfully secured by on-duty Flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk airport." The airline's response highlighted the critical role played by off-duty crew members who happened to be aboard as passengers — a fortunate circumstance that may have made the difference between a safe landing and a catastrophe. An airline spokesperson added that the immediate priority was ensuring the safety, health, and wellbeing of all passengers and crew involved, as well as supporting the official investigation.
No official motive for the incident has been provided. However, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz characterised the event as an "attempted jihadist terror attack," a serious allegation that, if substantiated, would elevate the incident from a criminal act to an act of terrorism with significant geopolitical ramifications. US President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Netanyahu following the incident, noting that it seemed as though the attacker was "perhaps a terrorist" or that other reasons might lie behind the attack. The conflicting characterisations — with Netanyahu stopping short of assigning a motive while his defence minister invoked terrorism — reflect the cautious and evolving nature of the investigation.
The passengers who had been aboard flight FZ1073 arrived in Tel Aviv at approximately 18:40 local time — 15:40 GMT — on a repatriation flight. They were met at the airport by crowds of onlookers playing music, singing, dancing, and waving Israeli flags, a scene of relief and celebration after hours of uncertainty and fear. A paramedic from Israel's ambulance service told the BBC that a number of people were "very emotional and crying as they came off the plane," capturing the psychological toll of the experience.
One passenger, Yaniv Hayun, met Netanyahu and recounted how he and others on the flight had restrained the attacker. His account, alongside those of other witnesses, has contributed to a growing narrative of ordinary people rising to extraordinary circumstances. Netanyahu described the situation as "a very serious security incident" and said Israeli security forces were maintaining close contact with relevant authorities to ensure the continued safety of the passengers. He saluted what he called "these heroes who demonstrated extraordinary resourcefulness and courage," adding that they "saved many lives and prevented a major disaster."
The incident raises pressing questions about cockpit security, pilot screening, and the vulnerabilities that persist even in an era of hardened cockpit doors and layered aviation security measures. That a pilot — someone with legitimate access to the flight deck — could allegedly carry out such an attack underscores the difficulty of defending against threats from within the trusted insider community. Investigators will likely examine the attacker's background, mental state, and any possible affiliations, as well as how the weapon was brought aboard.
The aircraft remains in Tabuk, where Saudi authorities are expected to cooperate with the official investigation. The involvement of multiple national authorities — Emirati, Saudi, Israeli, and Indian — suggests a complex, multi-jurisdictional inquiry. As passengers recover and the wounded captain continues his treatment, the world awaits answers about how a routine flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv became the scene of a potentially catastrophic attack foiled by courage and quick thinking at 37,000 feet.
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