Too early to say if Iran involved in Dubai-Tel Aviv flight attack, Israeli PM says — SkimNews
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- Flydubai flight FZ1073 plunged over 17,000 feet two hours into its journey before being secured by off-duty crew members, who landed the plane safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia
- Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national piloting the aircraft, was stabbed but opened the cockpit door before collapsing, enabling passengers and crew to intervene and subdue the attacker
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it is too early to say if Iran was involved in the incident and confirmed Israel had no prior intelligence warning of the attack
- Passenger Yaniv Hayun helped restrain the attacker by applying a chokehold and reported pulling the plane’s controls to level it before another pilot resumed command
- UAE chief prosecutor launched an investigation into the incident, including potential links to terrorist activity, while the suspect is expected to be transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli President Isaac Herzog both praised Captain Machchhar as a hero for his actions despite severe injuries
Why it matters: The incident raises immediate security concerns for commercial aviation in a volatile region, with 174 people on board narrowly avoiding disaster. The lack of advance warning and ongoing uncertainty about state-linked involvement heighten risks for airlines operating between the UAE and Israel, especially as investigations could implicate transnational threats.
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