'Hero' pilot stabbed by other pilot on Israel-bound plane, Israeli PM says
An investigation is underway after a pilot allegedly stabbed a colleague and attempted to hijack an Israel-bound Flydubai flight. The plane experienced a significant altitude drop before passengers intervened to subdue the attacker.
Why it matters
The incident raises serious questions about aviation security and potential geopolitical motives behind the mid-air attack.
It is too early to say why a pilot stabbed another pilot and tried to take over a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israel's prime minister has said.
The Flydubai plane plunged more than 17,000ft (5,200m) two hours into its journey on Wednesday during the incident, before passengers and crew overpowered the attacker and retook control to land safely.
The stabbed pilot, Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, is now in hospital in a stable condition, and has been hailed a "true hero" by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
One passenger, Yaniv Hayun, described how he put the attacker, who was trying to disable the plane, in a chokehold before other passengers helped pin him down.
The alleged attacker was arrested in Saudi Arabia but is expected to be transferred to the United Arab Emirates, where the plane took off from, Netanyahu told Fox News.
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