Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that evidence suggests a flydubai pilot attempted to crash a Tel Aviv-bound flight, but was stopped by an Israeli passenger and a crew member.
Indian pilot Smit Machchhar bravely recounts his terrifying mid-air ordeal aboard a flydubai flight last month, detailing how his quick thinking and survival instinct thwarted a co-pilot's planned suicide attack and saved over 170 lives.
Israel has implemented new aviation security directives, barring pilots and cabin crew from countries without diplomatic ties, including Pakistan, from entering its airspace. This follows a hijacking attempt last month on a flight to Israel, where Indian Captain Smit Machchhar was injured while thwarting the plot. The restrictions affect over two dozen nationalities and have prompted airlines like Air France and United Airlines to adjust crew assignments.
A news report details how Israel scrambled fighter jets and stood ready to shoot down a Flydubai plane after a co-pilot's cockpit stabbing attempt led to a rapid descent and fears of a hijacking en route to Tel Aviv.
While Smit Machchhar is rightly being lauded as a hero, the curious thing is that the name of the Omani copilot responsible for this attempt to hijack or crash the aircraft has been withheld. His name and face should have been splashed all over the international media. This was not done and it therefore raises legitimate suspicion. Is it possible that his involvement could expose some powerful entity? Could it point to a blatant intelligence failure that would have left certain powers shamefaced? Could it be that he may have revealed things that could prove severely damaging to certain vested interests? asks Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
US President Donald Trump has stated his personal belief that Iran was responsible for the attempted mid-air hijacking and crash of Flydubai Flight FZ1073, where an Omani co-pilot attacked the Indian captain.
A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after an apparent altercation in the cockpit. Israeli officials confirmed a "severe disaster" was averted, with initial fears of a hijacking prompting fighter jet deployment. Passenger accounts described panic and a pilot being stabbed, though the exact circumstances remain under investigation.
An Indian pilot and several passengers are being hailed as heroes after thwarting a co-pilot's alleged attempt to crash a flydubai flight en route to Tel Aviv. The incident involved a mid-air struggle, a rapid descent, and an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, with international leaders praising the bravery that saved 174 lives.
The ministry of external affairs on Friday dismissed as 'fake news' reports alleging that India had requested Israel to sign a defence pact in response to the newly formed Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey security framework.
Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar is being hailed as a hero for preventing a Flydubai flight from crashing after being stabbed by his co-pilot. His friend, Dr. Jinit Shah, attributes his ability to avert the tragedy to "muscle memory" and his extensive pilot training. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also praised Captain Machchhar's immense courage.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have lauded Indian pilot Smit Machchhar as a hero for thwarting an alleged attempt to crash a flydubai flight, saving 174 lives. Machchhar, despite being seriously injured, resisted the attacker and helped prevent a catastrophic mid-air disaster.
An Indian captain and Israeli passengers on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv heroically fought off a co-pilot who allegedly attempted to crash the aircraft, forcing an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar has been hailed as a hero by Israeli leaders for his extraordinary bravery in thwarting an alleged mid-air attack by his co-pilot on a flydubai flight. Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the attacker and prevent a catastrophic disaster. The flight, carrying 174 passengers, safely landed in Saudi Arabia, and Machchhar is recovering.
Saudi Arabia will conduct the preliminary investigation into the Omani co-pilot who attempted to crash flydubai flight FZ1073, after the Tel Aviv-bound plane was forced to make an unscheduled landing at Tabuk Airport.
The UAE has initiated an investigation into a serious incident aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which was forced to divert and land in Saudi Arabia. An Indian pilot was reportedly stabbed by his co-pilot during the flight, leading to an emergency landing. Authorities are examining all circumstances, including potential links to terrorist activity, asserting UAE jurisdiction over the UAE-registered aircraft.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that the co-pilot who attacked Captain Smit Machchhar on board the flydubai flight on Wednesday had underwent radical Islamist indoctrination.
US President Donald Trump recounted an unconfirmed story about a flydubai flight where an Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar, fought off a knife attack from a co-pilot attempting to crash the aircraft. Trump also detailed a dramatic intervention by an Israeli plumber-passenger who helped subdue the co-pilot, learning flying basics from a TV show. Trump stressed that he was merely relaying an account from Israeli PM Netanyahu, not independently confirmed facts.
The flydubai near-tragedy showed how the gratuitous conflicts their governments started in West Asia have made the world unsafe for them (and unfortunate co-passengers of other nationalities), points out Kanika Datta.
Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar is hailed as a 'real hero' by a senior Israeli official for his bravery during a mid-air 'terror act' on a Flydubai flight, preventing a 'bigger tragedy' after being attacked by his co-pilot with a knife.
Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami 'attempted a terrorist act' on flight FZ1073 to Tel Aviv, attacking Captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe and trying to seize control.
Israeli envoy Reuven Azar praised Indian Captain Smit Machchhar for foiling an alleged co-pilot's attempt to crash a flydubai plane en route to Tel Aviv. Azar detailed Israel's immediate response, including scrambling fighter jets, and highlighted the combined efforts of the captain, Israeli passengers, and crew in ensuring a safe landing in Saudi Arabia, saving nearly 180 lives.
Protests broke out at the Ben Gurion international airport just before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Washington, DC, where he is due to meet with US President Joe Biden on Wednesday and address the United States Congress.
An Omani citizen, Hamam al-Hammami, has been identified as the flydubai co-pilot who attacked Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and allegedly attempted to take control of a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, which the UAE has now confirmed as a 'terrorist act'.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel aims to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two nations, focusing on cooperation in various sectors including defense, technology, and trade.
As international investigations intensify into the mid-air security scare aboard the Flydubai flight, Israel's i24 News reported that an Emirati source has revealed that among the belongings of the Omani co-pilot were leaflets and publications from "Free Palestine" groups, alongside pro-Palestinian material.
A FlyDubai flight captain was stabbed by his co-pilot in a suspected terror attack, leading to a desperate fight for survival that was heroically thwarted by an Israeli dentist and other passengers, averting a major mid-air disaster.
An Air India flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv was diverted to Abu Dhabi on Sunday after a missile attack near the Tel Aviv airport. The airline has suspended Tel Aviv flights till May 6. The attack happened less than an hour before the Air India flight was to land at Tel Aviv. The flight landed normally in Abu Dhabi and will soon return to Delhi. Air India's operations to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended with immediate effect till May 6.
Calling themselves 'Bnei Menashe', they claim descent from the tribe of Manaseh, one of 10 tribes exiled from the land of Israel by the Assyrians over 2,700 years ago.
US Vice President JD Vance has strongly criticized commentators for making derogatory remarks about his Indian-origin wife, Usha Vance, following racist comments from a right-wing podcaster.
Several international airlines on Wednesday halted flights to Israel indefinitely, citing security concerns as high-level diplomatic efforts failed to yield any result to end the 16-day conflict that has killed 640 Palestinians and 31 Israelis.
Amid criticism over comments about his interfaith marriage, Vice President J D Vance said on Friday that his wife Second Lady Usha Vance has no plans to convert to Christianity but added that he hoped 'she may one day see things as I do'.
Iran was the chance to arrange a concert of nations, to actually be a Vishwaguru. Instead, we are watching from the sidelines as Pakistan, the same country that is apparently still at war with Afghanistan, hosts talks between US-Israel and Iran. The irony is hard to miss, points out Amberish K Diwanji.
More than 5,00,000 people have left Ukraine since the start of Russia's military operation and about 1,60,000 have become internally displaced, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council on Monday.
India and Israel share a deep historical bond, and Prime Minister Modi's visit to the Knesset marked a bold shift from past diplomatic hesitation to open strategic partnership.
A group of over 50 Jews from India's northeast, who claim to be descendants of an ancient Jewish tribe, arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the largest-ever exodus of Jews from the country to Israel.
Balloons in the national colours of Israel and Qatar festooned the departure gate for the first commercial flight between the countries on Sunday, permitted by Doha for fans of the World Cup despite the absence of formal bilateral relations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Israeli Parliament, reaffirming India's support for Israel in the face of terrorism and expressing support for the Gaza peace initiative.
'India's ties with Israel have to do with defence and general technology.' 'The war changes nothing in what India and Israel hope to get from the relationship.' 'It's not as though India will get significantly more benefits from Iran if India abandons Israel at this time.'
'Caught in the middle of a war in a foreign country was hardly something any of us had envisaged.'
