Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised an Israeli passenger and an Indian pilot after their actions helped prevent a potentially catastrophic incident aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 was carrying 174 people when a violent incident occurred inside the cockpit during its flight from Dubai to Israel.
According to Israeli officials, the co-pilot allegedly stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, before the aircraft entered a steep descent. Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and other crew members to intervene.
The aircraft was subsequently diverted and made an emergency landing in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu later praised the Israeli passenger, identified in reports as Yaniv Hayoun, whom he met after the passengers arrived safely in Israel.
The Israeli prime minister described Hayoun’s actions as extraordinary and said passengers had faced a situation in which they feared they would die.
He also praised Captain Machchhar, who was seriously injured during the incident.
“He is a true hero,” Netanyahu said of the Indian captain, according to reports.
Passengers intervene
Passenger accounts indicate that several people helped subdue the attacker after the cockpit door was opened.
Hayoun reportedly entered the cockpit and helped with the controls before other passengers and crew took over.
Other passengers also helped restrain the co-pilot.
The aircraft had experienced a dramatic loss of altitude before control was restored. Flight-tracking data showed the plane dropping by almost 14,000 feet in a short period.
All 174 passengers were eventually taken safely to Tel Aviv on a later Flydubai flight.
Captain Machchhar was taken to hospital in Tabuk. India’s Embassy in Riyadh said he was receiving medical treatment and was reported to be in stable condition.
Investigation continues
Flydubai said the aircraft experienced a serious cockpit security incident and was safely diverted and landed.
The airline has suspended flights to and from Israel while investigations continue.
The precise motive behind the cockpit incident has not been established. Israeli officials have described it as an apparent attempt to crash the aircraft, while Flydubai has cautioned against premature conclusions as authorities investigate what happened.
