A senior UAE official has now labeled the attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight as an act of terrorism. Anwar Gargash, adviser to President Mohammed bin Zayed, described the incident as a dangerous terrorist act in a social media post, commending the pilot who helped stop it. He said the pilot “embodied, before a dangerous terrorist act and a potential catastrophe, the true meaning of bravery and responsibility.” He added that the pilot’s “professionalism and ethics in the most somber circumstances make him an authentic hero.
Far from simplifying what happened and promoting conspiracy theories, vigilance and caution continue to be a need upon the risks of extremism and terrorism.”
The attack took place during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday. The assailant, a co-pilot, stabbed his colleague, Smit Machchhar, before attempting to crash the aircraft. Passengers and crew members overpowered the attacker after the plane descended 17,000 feet during the assault. The flight was then rerouted to Saudi Arabia.
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Machchhar later recounted the attack in a video call with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He explained that he was fighting for his life while lying on the ground, aware the plane was in a steep dive. “I was doing this for my life, but at the same time, I knew that I couldn’t let everybody else die,” he said. Two Israeli officials involved in the investigation told Reuters that the initial assessment is that the pilot was acting alone.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot had undergone Islamic radical indoctrination and that it looked likely the pilot was going to down the plane. He added that the Islamist tendencies found in the pilot’s background were a “pretty good clue.”
Machchhar, who suffered multiple stab wounds, remains hospitalized but is reported to be in stable condition. His actions during the attack have been cited as a model of professionalism, with aviation experts praising his ability to maintain control in a life-threatening situation. The incident has prompted calls for stricter vetting procedures for flight-crew members globally.