Passenger Testimony of Cockpit Breach Thwarts Flydubai Hijacking Attempt
A hijacking attempt nearly occurred on a Flydubai flight bound for Israel. One passenger recounted the moments of resistance, including breaching the cockpit, to prevent the hijacking from taking place.
According to reports from Reuters and CNN on Thursday (1/10/2026), Israeli officials stated that passengers and crew entered the cockpit and incapacitated the co-pilot, who is suspected of being the perpetrator. More than 10 hours later, the aircraft finally managed to land in Israel.
“I can only say that it was a miracle. The situation was horrific and chaotic; we are grateful to God that we survived. We thought we wouldn’t make it through, but thankfully we are now in Israel. We have returned home and are happy to see everyone here,” said passenger Lital Shachaf.
Another passenger, Yaniv Hayoun, described the moments when he and other passengers stopped the hijacking attempt. Hayoun recounted that he managed to lock the perpetrator’s neck and drag him out of the cockpit.
Hayoun met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (30/9) local time to recount his efforts to enter the cockpit. He noted that the pilot, who was injured by a stabbing from the perpetrator, was pressed against the door, making it initially difficult to open.
Upon successfully entering the cockpit, he saw the attacker positioned above the panel located between the two pilot seats.
“There were no pilots in their seats: one person was on the floor, and another was on top of the [panel],” Haylar said.
He stated that the perpetrator appeared to be attempting to disable the aircraft. Hayoun then called upon other passengers to assist him in securing the perpetrator.
“I called out to several Israeli passengers on the plane, and two other men came to help. We then incapacitated the perpetrator,” said Hayoun.
“I immediately moved forward, took control, and began pulling the lever backwards.”
Hayoun told Netanyahu that the entire event unfolded in seconds.
“I imagine if we had already entered Israeli airspace, the situation might not have ended well,” he told Netanyahu.
In a statement, Flydubai stated that the exact cause of the incident is not yet known. An Israeli official identified the co-pilot as an Omani national.
A spokesperson for Netanyahu told Reuters that the injured captain—identified by the Israeli leader’s office as Smit Machchhar, an Indian national—was lying in a pool of blood on the floor when he managed to press the release button to open the cockpit door. The passengers who entered found the co-pilot striking the aircraft’s control panel.
“It was an act done without thinking; you just run to save the life of your daughter, the life of your family,” said Asaf Rajuan, one of the passengers who helped subdue the attacker.
Netanyahu Claims Pilot Intended to Crash Plane
Previously, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke out regarding the Flydubai flight from Dubai, UAE, which was suddenly diverted to Saudi Arabia. He stated that the pilot intended to crash the plane and kill the passengers.
According to AFP on Wednesday (30/9), passengers provided similar accounts regarding the incident on board. They described a struggle for control after the plane suddenly plummeted, losing approximately 17,000 feet in altitude within one minute, according to Flightradar24.
Flydubai stated that all 174 passengers, 166 of whom are Israeli nationals, are safe. In its statement, Flydubai also noted that it does not yet know the cause of the disturbance on the aircraft.