New Delhi- The mid-air attack aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Israel could have resulted in a disaster similar to the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson David Mencer told IANS in an exclusive interview.
The Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after the Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked Indian Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit. The aircraft eventually landed safely in Tabuk after passengers and crew members intervened. The incident remains under investigation, and the exact motive of the co-pilot has not been established.
Mencer said the circumstances inside the cockpit indicated that the incident could have had much more serious consequences.
“That’s what it certainly looks like. This could have been very similar to 9/11,” Mencer told IANS.
He said an Israeli passenger and a crew member who entered the cockpit during the incident found that the Omani co-pilot was not in the pilot’s seat but was allegedly standing over the controls and attempting to damage the aircraft’s systems while attacking Machchhar.
“Let’s be clear: this man wanted to bring down the aircraft. You cannot help but make the comparison between 9/11 and this attack,” Mencer said.
The aircraft reportedly experienced a rapid loss of altitude during the emergency before control was regained. Machchhar, despite being seriously injured, managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and other pilots on board to enter and help subdue the attacker. The aircraft was then safely landed in Saudi Arabia.
Mencer said investigators were examining whether the incident had any links to Hamas, Hezbollah or Iran, but stressed that it was too early to draw conclusions while the investigation was continuing.
“We understand that the Omani pilot is being questioned by the Saudi authorities and that he will be transferred to the UAE. There will be a full investigation into precisely what his associations were,” he said.
The spokesperson also pointed to security concerns in Israel ahead of its upcoming elections. He said Netanyahu had warned shortly before the incident that Iran and groups it funds could pose security threats aimed at disrupting the election process.
Mencer said the incident also raised questions about aviation security and the screening of pilots.
“Perhaps because he was a pilot, he was not subject to certain checks,” he said, adding that the alleged use of a knife or axe during the attack and the reported attempt to damage the aircraft’s controls indicated a serious security lapse.
Israel has since announced tighter checks on pilots flying into the country following the incident. Reuters reported that Israeli authorities planned additional vetting and identity checks for pilots operating flights to Israel.
Mencer said Israel and the UAE had also instituted a six-day suspension of flights between the two countries as authorities investigate the incident and assess the risk of any further attacks.
He credited the Indian pilot, passengers and crew members with preventing the situation from turning into a major aviation disaster.
“What the Israeli passengers and crew, together with the Indian pilot, did was to wrestle control of the plane back from the Omani pilot and bring the incident to a safe conclusion,” he said.
Captain Smit Machchhar has received widespread praise for his actions during the emergency. Reports say that even after being attacked, he managed to open the cockpit door, enabling passengers to intervene and allowing other pilots on board to take over and land the aircraft safely.
The investigation is continuing, and authorities have yet to establish the motive or determine whether the incident had any connection to an organised terrorist group.
–IANS