Story perspectives

Flydubai Stopped Israel Flights After Cockpit Stabbing Hero

By Drooid · Oct 2, 2026, 4:14 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Captain Smit Machchhar opened the cockpit door after being stabbed, letting passengers and crew subdue the attacker.
Flydubai FZ1073 fell 14,000 feet, then diverted and landed safely at Tabuk airport, Saudi Arabia.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Machchhar, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him a “true hero.”
Flydubai halted all Israel flights pending investigation; Machchhar stays in Tabuk ICU.

History

Historical Context

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, in which al-Qaeda hijackers crashed four U.S. airliners, killed nearly 3,000 people and reshaped global aviation security. President George W. Bush signed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration and Homeland Security to allocate $10 billion, reducing attacks by over 90 %. Similarly, Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar opened the cockpit door after a stabbing, enabling passengers and crew to subdue the assailant and land safely in Tabuk. The 2001 reforms illustrate how past crises compel airlines and governments to empower crew members, reinforcing enduring demands for robust security protocols worldwide.

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Story summary

Captain Smit Machchhar opened the cockpit door after being stabbed, letting passengers and crew subdue the attacker.
Flydubai FZ1073 fell 14,000 feet, then diverted and landed safely at Tabuk airport, Saudi Arabia.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Machchhar, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him a “true hero.”
Flydubai halted all Israel flights pending investigation; Machchhar stays in Tabuk ICU.

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