UAE official calls Flydubai incident a ‘terrorist act’, praises Indian captain
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "UAE official calls Flydubai incident a ‘terrorist act’, praises Indian captain")
UAE official calls Flydubai incident a ‘terrorist act’, praises Indian captain Photograph: (AFP)
UAE adviser Anwar Gargash called the Flydubai incident a “terrorist act” and praised Indian Captain Smit Machchhar for resisting the attacker and helping save 180 lives.
United Arab Emirates presidential adviser Anwar Gargash on Friday (Oct 2) called the Flydubai incident a “terrorist act”. The co-pilot of flight FZ1073 attacked Indian Captain Smit Machchhar mid-flight in an attempt to hijack the flight with the intention of crashing it. However, Machchhar resisted his co-pilot and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to rush in and overpower the attacker and saving 180 lives. Gargash also hailed the courage of the captain, who is currently undergoing treatment in the UAE.
In a post on X, the official said, “The Indian pilot at ‘Flydubai,’ Smit Machchhar, deserves every bit of appreciation, for he embodied the meaning of courage and responsibility in the face of a dangerous terrorist act and a potential disaster. His professionalism and moral sense in the darkest of circumstances make him a true hero.”
He added, “Far from the easy reduction of what happened or the adoption and promotion of conspiracy theories, vigilance and caution remain essential in confronting the risks of extremism and terrorism.”
What happened on Flydubai flight?
A major hijacking attempt was foiled on a Flydubai flight, carrying 174 passengers, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday (Sep 30). The situation onboard turned chaotic when the Omani co-pilot attempted to murder Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and hijack the flight with the intention of crashing it. Machchhar bravely fought with his co-pilot and managed to open the cockpit door despite battling severe wounds and blood loss.
Once the cockpit door was open, passengers rushed in and overpowered the co-pilot, restraining him. A dentist on the flight tended to Machchhar’s injuries and stabilised him. Two off-duty pilots, who were among the passengers, took control of the flight and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
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During the altercation, the plane suddenly plunged several feet, from nearly 34,000 feet to less than 17,000 feet. The plane also sent distress signal 7700, a general international emergency signal. It also briefly sent the code 7500, which signals hijacking and unlawful interference, before it went back to the original distress code.
From there, the Israeli passengers were sent on another flight, also operated by Flydubai, to their intended destination in Tel Aviv. No other crew members or passengers were injured in the incident. Machchhar underwent surgery in Saudi Arabia after landing. He was airlifted to the UAE on Thursday (Oct 1).
