Reuven Azar said an Omani co‑pilot tried to force a flydubai aircraft from Tel Aviv to Dubai into a crash on 29 September 2026, injuring Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar.
The 787‑9, carrying 170 passengers and crew, was hit when the co‑pilot brandished a metal “crash axe” in the cockpit, forcing Machchhar to wrestle the wheel‑control lever back to prevent a catastrophic dive.
Azar urged tighter cooperation, noting that the Omani government had apparently possessed intelligence about the threat but failed to share it. He warned that the incident struck at the core of the Abraham Accords and that Israel would review aviation vetting protocols.
Captain Machchhar, 38, suffered a fractured clavicle and two broken ribs, but survived after emergency medical crews boarded the grounded aircraft. The incident prompted calls from the International Civil Aviation Organization to enhance cockpit security.