JERUSALEM — Israel will tighten security vetting of pilots flying into the country after an Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain of a Flydubai passenger jet and tried to crash the aircraft this week, according to Israeli officials cited by Reuters.
The incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Sept. 30 with about 173 people on board, most of them Israeli, ended when the wounded captain unlocked the cockpit door and passengers and crew stormed in to subdue the attacker. Flight-tracking data showed the plane plunging between 14,000 and 17,000 feet in under two minutes over Saudi and Jordanian airspace before the captain regained control and diverted safely to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot.
Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was hailed as a hero by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was in stable condition after surgery, officials said. The co-pilot, an Omani national who joined Flydubai less than a year ago, was hospitalized after the confrontation.
Three Israeli officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the current assessment is that the episode was an attempted terrorist attack rather than a mental-health incident. Flydubai has warned against premature speculation while its investigation continues.
Officials did not disclose details of the new vetting measures, which would apply to crews operating flights into Israeli airports. The announcement adds a new layer of scrutiny to one of the busiest corridors in Middle East aviation, where the Abraham Accords routes between the United Arab Emirates and Israel have expanded rapidly in recent years.
