Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot, was stabbed in the cockpit of a Tel Aviv bound flydubai flight on September 30. The Omani copilot accused of attacking him had reportedly been barred from flying by Oman earlier, over concerns about extremist views. All 182 people on board survived.
If you have been following this story, you probably have one big question: how did he still end up in that cockpit?
What happened on the flydubai flight?
The flight left Dubai for Tel Aviv. Israeli officials said the copilot attacked Machchhar and tried to bring the plane down. The captain was wounded. Even so, he unlocked the cockpit door.
That one move mattered. It let passengers and crew rush in and stop the attack. Passengers and Israeli officials said two off duty pilots then took control. The plane diverted and landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, safely. Flydubai kept its statement short. It said “an altercation occurred in the flight deck.” It added that on duty crew secured the aircraft.
Was the copilot really barred from flying by Oman?
According to The Wall Street Journal, yes. The paper reported on October 2 that Oman had grounded him over radical ideological views. This detail is exclusive to its reporting. The Associated Press later cited an unnamed person who said the same.
Neither report quotes an official statement. So treat it as reported, not confirmed.
What has Israel said about the motive?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the copilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization.” He spoke on October 2, as reported by the Associated Press. He gave no evidence. So the motive remains unproven. Emirati authorities are leading the probe, with Israeli investigators involved.
How is Smit Machchhar doing now?
Better, by all accounts. He was treated in Tabuk first. Saudi Arabia then moved him and the copilot to the UAE. He is recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital.
Deepak Mittal, India’s Ambassador to the UAE, said he was “very reassured” after meeting the captain. The Indian embassy said Machchhar was in good health and recovering well.
Netanyahu said the captain, Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, “fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker”. Captain Machchhar prevented “a catastrophic mid-air disaster” and “He is a true hero,” Netanyahu wrote on X. He later appreciated Machchhar’s courage that made him “stop the 9/11 style incident again” on September 30.
US President Donald Trump has hailed Indian Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar as “a hero” after he was stabbed by his co-pilot during a mid-air attack on an Israel-bound flight.
“In a way he was a hero,” Trump said of Machchhar, saying the badly wounded pilot still managed to open the cockpit door and call for help.
What is still not confirmed?
A lot of the picture is still blank. Here is what no one has officially answered yet:
- Why Oman barred the copilot
- Whether flydubai knew about the ban before hiring him
- What his motive was
- Whether any charges will follow
Until the investigation reports back, these stay open questions. Emirati authorities are leading it, with Israeli investigators involved, as the Associated Press reported.
What does this mean for travellers?
Quite a lot of people fly this route. Dubai has been a popular getaway for Israelis since the two countries established ties in 2020. After this attack, the regional travel industry is unsettled, according to the Associated Press.
For most passengers, the big worry is simple. Who checks the person flying the plane, and how well do those checks travel across borders? No official body has answered that yet.
The investigation will take time. Official findings from UAE authorities, flydubai and Oman will decide what we learn next.