How the attempted hijacking of an Israeli flight unfolded

By The Telegraph

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Shortly after 9.20am local time, 174 passengers were praying for their lives after a fight broke out in the cockpit of Flydubai Flight FZ1073. It was a hijacking attempt on the plane, which had to execute an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. The captain, an Indian citizen, had been stabbed by a hijacker and lost control. But before collapsing into unconsciousness, Smit Machchhar managed to prise open the cockpit door. It took just 37 seconds for the Boeing 737 Max jet to plunge 15,000ft. Many on board believed they would die. But, when they heard the pilot scream, some of the passengers ran towards the cockpit, burst inside and subdued the knife-wielding attacker, reportedly an Omani citizen. Read the full story here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/30/hijacked-flight-israel-unfolded/ #hijacking #flydubai ► Sign up to the Telegraph's free new daily newsletter, From the Editor, bringing you the latest news, features and analysis from

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