A Tel Aviv bound Flydubai flight declared an in‑air emergency after a cockpit attack when a first officer allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to force the aircraft down, officials and passengers said.
The flight, FZ1073, had departed Dubai International Airport and was carrying 174 passengers and six crew on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered A6‑FKF, according to airline and passenger accounts.
Flight tracking data showed the aircraft began a rapid descent over Saudi airspace, dropping more than 17,000 feet in under two minutes, before stabilising and later diverting to Tabuk Airport, where it landed and emergency services met the jet.
Passengers and officials described how Captain Smit Machchhar, despite serious wounds, managed to open the cockpit door from the inside. His action enabled several passengers and crew to enter the flight deck, overpower the attacking pilot and restrain him, according to statements relayed by Israeli and Indian officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Machchhar as a hero and said passengers and a crew member who entered the cockpit helped to steady the aircraft. The Indian prime minister also commended the captain, saying his valour helped save many lives.
Passengers identified several people who intervened, including an Israeli man who said he pulled back on the controls and a dentist who provided medical aid to the injured captain. One deadheading Flydubai pilot then took command and, with on‑duty crew in the cockpit, the aircraft was brought under control.
Investigation, Motive and Wider Reactions
Saudi authorities arrested the attacker after the landing and questioned him, and UAE prosecutors opened an investigation into possible terrorist links, the UAE said in a statement. Flydubai said the motives remained unknown and warned against premature speculation.
Israeli officials and some international sources said the suspect is an Omani national identified in reporting as Hamam al‑Hammami or al‑Hammami. Authorities from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel, Oman, Australia and the United States were reported to be cooperating or conducting inquiries, according to media accounts.
Investigators found extremist images on the suspect's social media, sources reported, and agencies are probing whether he acted alone or with direction. Israeli officials said it was too early to determine any state involvement and noted interrogation statements indicating suicidal intent, as reported by the Israeli prime minister.
The incident prompted Flydubai to suspend flights to and from Israel while it and regulators review security procedures. Israel said it would increase security checks for foreign pilots flying to the country. Officials also cautioned against disinformation, as conspiracy theories circulated online soon after the emergency signal.
Both injured pilots were taken to hospital and later transferred, as medical teams advised. The airline arranged replacement aircraft that carried passengers on to Tel Aviv after several hours on the ground in Tabuk, according to airline and media statements.
