Cockpit security on planes is facing renewed scrutiny following an incident on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, where a co-pilot reportedly stabbed the captain of flydubai flight FZ 1073. Passengers and the wounded captain are said to have worked together to prevent the plane, carrying over 170 people, mostly Israeli, from crashing.
The event has reignited debate over the policy of locking cockpit doors from the inside, a measure introduced after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Aviation security expert Philip Baum stated that more lives have been lost on commercial aircraft due to aircraft-assisted suicide since 9/11 than to terrorism, often because locked cockpits prevented intervention.
On the flydubai flight, Captain Smit Machchhar reportedly resisted his attacker, an unnamed Omani co-pilot, and ensured help could reach him from the cabin. The motives of the Omani co-pilot are currently unknown, and the UK pilots' union Balpa has urged authorities to investigate without interference.
Following the incident, Israel is implementing enhanced background screening for pilots. Flydubai has also cancelled subsequent flights to Tel Aviv, and British ministers have indicated they will review the safety of flights to Israel.