AssetID: 56070530
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Flydubai Suspends Israel Flights After Pilot Stabbing Incident
Caption: Flydubai Suspends Israel Flights After Pilot Stabbing Incident. Emirati airline flydubai has temporarily suspended all flights to and from Israel following an incident involving two pilots on a flight to Tel Aviv. Flight FZ1073 made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after one pilot allegedly stabbed another and the aircraft plunged more than 15,000 feet in two minutes. Crew members and passengers reportedly entered the cockpit and overpowered the alleged attacker, while a second pair of flydubai pilots on board landed the aircraft. All passengers were later flown safely to Tel Aviv on replacement aircraft sent by flydubai, which said the suspension would allow authorities to establish the facts. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the assailant had "apparently attempted to crash the plane with its passengers on board”. Netanyahu praised injured pilot Captain Smit Machchhar as a "true hero" for opening the cockpit door and allowing passengers and crew to intervene. The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia said Machchhar was hospitalised and in stable condition following the incident. U.S. President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Netanyahu and that the alleged attacker appeared to be either "a terrorist or perhaps a whack job” while authorities continued investigating the motive. Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Current Affairs & Politics,flydubai,Benjamin Netanyahu,Donald Trump,Smit Machchhar,Israel,Saudi Arabia,Tel Aviv,Tabuk,pilot stabbing,aviation incident,emergency landing,Flight FZ1073,Dubai,United Arab Emirates
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