Full Breakdown
Flydubai Pilot Stabs Co-Pilot on Flight to Israel, Prompting Security Scrutiny
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Incident Overview
A flydubai flight carrying 174 passengers bound for Israel was interrupted when the veteran lead pilot, identified as Smit Machchhar, was stabbed by his co-pilot. The co-pilot, an Omani national who had been with the airline for less than a year, was not named publicly. After the attack, two off-duty pilots diverted the aircraft to Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The incident occurred on a Wednesday, and Israeli officials described it as a “jihadist terrorist attack.”
Airline and Pilot Background
Flydubai, a sister carrier of Emirates, employs pilots from various nationalities, but pilots flying to Israel must hold passports from countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. Oman does not have such relations, making the Omani co-pilot’s presence on the flight unusual. “For instance, he used to pray a lot, and would not shake hands with women,” — Yosef Yisrael, journalist.
Israeli Government Response
Transportation Minister Miri Regev called for the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority to examine whether the United Arab Emirates breached its aviation agreement with Israel. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, Doron Spielman, said Israel will now verify the identities of all pilots flying into the country and increase security checks “Every pilot that is going to be flying into Israel, we are going to know the pilots’ identities, know who they are, and do some type of security check,” — Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
Security Implications
The episode has led Israel to temporarily suspend flydubai flights to and from the nation and to heighten security screening of airline crews. The incident underscores the challenges of cross-border aviation agreements when crew members hail from countries lacking diplomatic ties with Israel.
Verbatim Quotes
- “For instance, he used to pray a lot, and would not shake hands with women,” — Yosef Yisrael, journalist
- “Every pilot that is going to be flying into Israel, we are going to know the pilots’ identities, know who they are, and do some type of security check,” — Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for Benjamin Netanyahu’s office