Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has identified the stabbed pilot on the Flydubai flight as Smit Machchhar from India.
Netanyahu praised the captain as a “true hero,” saying he demonstrated “extraordinary bravery” and saved the lives of 174 people.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Passengers and crew thwart disaster on Israeli-bound flight from Dubai
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow
“Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster,” he said on X.
The India Embassy in Saudi Arabia described Machchhar as “brave” and wished him a speedy recovery. He is being treated at a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
“A full update on his health is awaited but he is reported to be in stable condition,” the embassy said in a statement. “We hope that he recovers from his injuries at the earliest. We are in touch with his family and assure them that we will continue to follow up on his health with Saudi authorities and extend all possible assistance for his wellbeing.
The co-pilot of a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv tried to crash the plane after stabbing Machchhar but passengers subdued him while other pilots landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia, Israeli officials say.
Describing the event as “a highly severe security incident,” Netanyahu said Saudi authorities would interrogate the co-pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073 from the United Arab Emirates to Israel.
The airline said in a statement that the underlying reasons for the event remained unknown and warned against “premature speculation”.
The cause of the altercation between the pilots was not clear.
A replacement flight carrying passengers of a plane involved in a stabbing landed in Israel. Credit: AAP The co-pilot, who an Israeli official identified as an Omani citizen, was arrested after the plane landed, Netanyahu said.
Israel’s transport ministry said there would be a joint investigation of the incident with the defence establishment.
“All passengers are out of harm’s way,” Netanyahu said in a video statement released by his office.
He also ordered tighter security on both Israeli and non-Israeli carriers flying into Israel.
The passengers departed Saudi Arabia for Israel aboard a Flydubai replacement aircraft after eight hours on the ground.
The FlyDubai replacement plane later landed in Israel.
Netanyahu quoted a passenger as saying that passengers along with a member of the crew broke into the cockpit after the aircraft “entered a tailspin and began to dive” and found the co-pilot “trying to sabotage the plane’s systems”.
“They saved many lives. They prevented a heavy disaster,” he said.
A second set of pilots on board, who were due to replace the first pair, landed the plane.
The aircraft’s flight data showed it suddenly and rapidly descended by nearly 14,000ft (around 4000m) in less than 30 seconds before a first emergency signal was sent on Wednesday morning, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.
Yasmin Abukasis said her daughter Miriam, who was among the passengers on the flight, had told her that she had heard screaming and that a man holding a knife had forced one of the pilots onto the floor, and that there was blood everywhere.
Israeli media published a photo purportedly taken from inside the plane, which appeared to show a passenger’s blood-soaked shirt.
Flydubai operates daily return flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, a route that is popular among Israelis.
Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk airport, where the plane landed, said both pilots had been hospitalised after sustaining injuries.
– with CNN