Cockpit Altercation Diverts Flight
Flydubai flight diverts to Saudi Arabia following a violent cockpit altercation between pilots.
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Key Points
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Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft first squawked 7700, the general emergency code, then changed to 7500, the code for unlawful interference, before returning to a general emergency signal. The codes alone did not establish what was happening on board.
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Flight-tracking data indicated the aircraft descended from about 34,000 feet to roughly 16,600 feet over northwestern Saudi Arabia before transmitting the emergency signal.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot stabbed the pilot; the report said the pilot managed to open the cockpit door and the alleged attacker was overpowered.
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El Al said it planned to resume repatriation flights from Sunday, with all seats reportedly booked; Arkia and Israir had also been chartered to bring Israelis home, though it was unclear whether Arkia’s scheduled Friday flight would proceed.
A Flydubai flight diverted to Saudi Arabia after a violent cockpit altercation between the pilot and co-pilot prompted emergency codes indicating possible hijacking. Times of India reported that Israeli investigators expect to question the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the captain. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot stabbed the pilot, who managed to open the cockpit door and was overpowered. All 176 passengers were safe.
The incident triggered a cascade of flight disruptions. Flydubai suspended all service to and from Israel, leaving more than 10,000 Israelis stranded in the UAE. The New York Times reported that El Al and other Israeli carriers are now scrambling to organize repatriation flights, with El Al planning to resume operations from Sunday with all seats booked.
Emergency Codes Triggered Jet Scramble
Flight tracking data showed the aircraft first transmitted code 7700, a general emergency signal, then switched to code 7500, which indicates unlawful interference or hijacking. Israeli authorities scrambled fighter jets immediately in response. The codes alone did not confirm what was unfolding. The plane descended from 34,000 feet to roughly 16,600 feet over northwestern Saudi Arabia before diverting to Tabuk airport.
Captain Fought Back Against Alleged Stabbing
According to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Omani co-pilot stabbed the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar. Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, and crew members overpowered the alleged attacker. iHeart reported that Machchhar told India's PM: "I couldn't let everybody else die." The captain was treated for his wounds and remains a focus of the ongoing investigation.
Flydubai and Israeli Carriers Halt Service
Flydubai immediately suspended all flights to and from Israel following the incident. The New York Times reported that El Al postponed repatriation flights after the UAE withdrew landing permission for those aircraft in Dubai. The bottleneck has left over 10,000 Israelis unable to leave the UAE and surrounding regions.
El Al announced it would resume flights beginning Sunday, with every seat already reserved. Yahoo reported that other carriers—Arkia and Israir—have also been chartered to bring stranded Israelis home, though Arkia's scheduled Friday flight faced uncertainty over whether it would proceed amid the ongoing restrictions.
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