Attempted hijacking on Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, heroic passengers subdue co-pilot

An attempted hijacking with the intent of crashing the plane was foiled yesterday on Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The co-pilot, an Omani citizen, stabbed Indian captain Smit Machchhar in the cockpit and then tried to crash the Boeing 737 Max with its 174 passengers on board.

The plane lost about 5,000 meters of altitude in less than a minute, transmitting the emergency code 7700. The injured captain managed to open the armored door, allowing passengers to enter and neutralize the attacker. Two off-duty pilots on board then took the controls, performing an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All passengers, mostly Israelis, are safe and sound.

The FZ1073 flight of the Emirati airline Flydubai regularly connects Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, with Tel Aviv, in Israel. This air link represents a tangible symbol of the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the Emirates.

The presence of many Israeli passengers on board reflects the new climate of cooperation and the tourist and commercial exchanges between the two countries. However, this reconciliation remains controversial among some extremist factions in the region. Israeli authorities immediately described the incident as an "attempted jihadist terrorist attack," while the airline initially referred to it as a simple "altercation," urging caution. The swift reaction of the passengers averted what Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called a potential disaster "similar to 9/11."