A Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a violent cockpit incident sent the aircraft into a steep descent.
The flight, FZ1073, was carrying 174 passengers when Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot, was reportedly attacked by his co-pilot.
Machchhar was seriously wounded but managed to open the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew to enter and help regain control of the aircraft.
The plane eventually landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu meets passenger
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later met one of the passengers involved in the dramatic intervention.
Netanyahu praised the Israeli passenger for his courage and credited him, Captain Machchhar and others aboard the aircraft with helping prevent a much more serious outcome.
The prime minister said the aircraft had been carrying about 30 children among its passengers.
Passenger Yaniv Hayoun said he entered the cockpit during the emergency and helped with the controls before other people took over.
Other passengers assisted in restraining the co-pilot.
Pilot remains in hospital
Captain Machchhar was taken to hospital after the emergency landing.
India’s Embassy in Riyadh said he was receiving medical treatment in Tabuk and was reported to be in stable condition.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also praised Machchhar for his actions during the emergency.
The aircraft later continued its journey to Israel using another Flydubai flight, with the passengers arriving safely at Ben Gurion Airport.
Motive remains unclear
Israeli officials have said the co-pilot appeared to have attempted to crash the aircraft.
However, Flydubai has described the episode as an altercation in the cockpit and said the underlying circumstances remain under investigation.
The co-pilot was arrested by Saudi authorities after the aircraft landed in Tabuk, according to Israeli officials.
Flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel while investigations continue.
The incident has raised fresh questions about aviation security and cockpit procedures, but authorities have not yet established a definitive motive for the attack.
