Flydubai Flight Lands Safely After Cockpit Altercation

Flydubai flight FZ1073 landed safely in Saudi Arabia after a cockpit altercation prompted passengers and reserve crew members to intervene, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Captain Smit Machchhar for helping protect those aboard. The airline said the cause of the incident remained unknown and cautioned against speculation as an investigation continued. The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight was diverted to Tabuk after the confrontation. Flydubai said crew aboard secured the aircraft, diverted it and landed safely. Reports said passengers and additional crew members helped subdue the copilot, allowing other pilots on board to take control. The sources do not establish a definitive number of people aboard; figures cited varied. Modi said in a post on X that Machchhar showed courage despite being seriously injured and helped protect passengers. He wished the captain a speedy recovery. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised Machchhar, and Israeli officials credited passengers with intervening during the cockpit struggle. Passenger Almog Italie described the plane dropping, levelling, then dropping again before people saw commotion near the cockpit.