Israel and India hail pilot Smit Machhar as hero after Flydubai forced landing
Netanyahu says the suspect is under investigation in Saudi Arabia; Indian PM and embassy confirm Machhar is receiving care and is stable.
Israeli and Indian leaders praised Indian pilot Smit Machhar after he helped prevent the crash of a Flydubai aircraft that made a forced landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, carrying 174 people on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it is too early to determine what lay behind the co‑pilot's attempt to bring down the plane. He added that Israeli authorities had no warning or prior intelligence about a possible incident of this kind.
Netanyahu said the attacker is currently under investigation in Saudi Arabia after being arrested when the aircraft performed the forced landing. He also said he expects the suspect to be transferred to the United Arab Emirates, from where the plane departed.
According to Netanyahu, the assailant stabbed the other pilot and allegedly tried to crash the aircraft. Passengers and crew subdued the attacker and regained control of the plane, allowing it to be landed safely in Tabuk.
Netanyahu's account of the rescue
On X, Netanyahu described the actions of Machhar in detail: "Machhar was lying on the floor covered in blood when he managed to activate the mechanism to open the cockpit door. That allowed the passengers and crew to overpower the other pilot and allow the other two Flydubai pilots who were on board to land the aircraft in Tabuk. He saved the lives of 174 people," Netanyahu wrote on X.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hailed Machhar as a hero. Indian authorities said Machhar is receiving medical treatment in a Tabuk hospital and that officials are in contact with his family; the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia said, "His condition is stable." Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Katz said there are indications the attack may have been a jihadist terrorist act.
Photo: AP)
