- Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot from Mumbai, recounted the cockpit attack during a FlyDubai flight to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, detailing how he stopped co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami from intentionally crashing the plane.
- Flight FZ1073, carrying 182 passengers from the UAE to Israel, nose-dived over 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds over Saudi Arabia after the 29-year-old Omani co-pilot repeatedly struck Machchhar on the head.
- Despite suffering severe injuries and blurred vision, Machchhar summoned his remaining strength to unlock the cockpit door from the inside, enabling passengers to rush in, overpower the attacker, and initialise recovery of the aircraft.
- Machchhar is currently recovering at a hospital in Abu Dhabi, where he received calls from both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu, who invited both men to attend Israel's Independence Day celebrations in May 2027.
- International agencies are investigating the background of Al-Hammami, who had studied in Australia and the UK and was previously banned from flying by Omani authorities due to his radical views.
IN FULL
