Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar has recounted fighting for his life after his co-pilot reportedly stabbed him during a flydubai flight. The incident led to the plane beginning a steep descent, according to Machchhar.
Speaking from an Abu Dhabi hospital in a video call broadcast live on television news channels, Machchhar told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he realised he had to get back on his feet to save the passengers. He stated, “I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realised that if I didn’t get up … then passengers would lose their lives.”
Machchhar, who sustained serious injuries, managed to open the cockpit door. This action allowed passengers to enter and restrain the attacker as the Boeing 737 descended sharply, as reported by witnesses and Israeli authorities. The flight, carrying 182 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the attacker, an Omani national, was arrested in Saudi Arabia and is currently undergoing interrogation. The motive for the attack remains unclear.