Flydubai flight Dubai-TLV touched down safely in Tel Aviv after Indian pilot Smit Machchhar and a group of passengers subdued Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, who allegedly attacked him with a crash axe. The incident saved 172 people on board. Machchhar, who sustained serious injuries, is out of danger and recovering in a hospital.
The cockpit fight unfolded as the aircraft lost altitude. Machchhar, displaying remarkable composure, opened the cockpit door to allow Israeli passengers to overpower the attacker. Two off-duty pilots on the flight took control of the aircraft and guided it to the runway. The Israeli Foreign Ministry framed the event as a triumph of regional cooperation, praising the "courageous Israeli passengers" alongside the "Indian pilot and Emirati crew."
Security lapses are now under intense scrutiny. Preliminary reports indicate al-Hammami was barred from flying in Oman due to extremist views yet was hired by flydubai. This raises critical questions about background checks, especially since Oman has no diplomatic relations with Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated last week that Israel has agreements with carriers to prevent pilots from countries without diplomatic ties from flying into the country.
The incident occurred days after Netanyahu met UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. The six-hour meeting focused on bilateral relations and Iran. The UAE, a key US ally, signed the Abraham Accords in 2020, normalizing ties with Israel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Netanyahu, and US President Donald Trump all praised Machchhar's heroism.