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flydubai Flight 1073

A flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft is pictured on the tarmac after landing at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on September 30, 2026. (Jack GUEZ/AFP)
Analysis
Lazar Berman and Emanuel Fabian
Israel maintains unique air security arrangements, but flydubai incident shows vulnerabilities
With air marshals, screening and cockpit rules -- not to mention the IAF -- Israel has famously secure civil flights. Does that help when foreign airlines have different rules?
L-R: Dr. Shota Musayev, Asaf Rajuan, Yaniv Hayoun, Tzvika Manes, who played key roles in thwarting an alleged attempt by the copilot to crash a flydubai plane, on September 30, 2026. (Screenshot/i24, Jack GUEZ/AFP, AP Photo/Tomer Appelbaum, Screenshot/Channel 12)
Safely home
/
Hailing pilot and three Israeli heroes, passengers say midair ‘miracles’ thwarted alleged attempt to crash plane
By ToI Staff, Emanuel Fabian, Sharon Wrobel and Nava Freiberg
David Horovitz
Op-ed
/
Unprecedented: Extraordinary heroism and near-miraculous circumstances avert an airplane catastrophe
David Horovitz
Passengers embark on a FlyDubai aircraft at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, September 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
UAE says probing whether attack on flydubai flight to Israel was terror
By Agencies, ToI Staff, Lazar Berman and Sharon Wrobel
Political correspondent Ariela Karmel appears on the Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg (Flash 90)
October 1, 2026, 2:38 pm
Daily Briefing Oct. 1 – Flydubai attack becomes political fodder for candidates
Political correspondent Ariela Karmel discusses rhetoric in wake of copilot’s attack on Dubai flight, and High Court hearings on the disqualification of Arab parties ahead of the election
By Jessica Steinberg and Ariela Karmel
A flydubai rescue flight lands at Ben Gurion Airport on September 30, 2026. (Magen David Adom)
October 1, 2026, 1:21 pm
Conspiracy theories about flydubai attack spread across social media, reports find
Shortly after aircraft transmitted its initial distress signal, thousands of posts online blamed Israel or Jews for a ‘false flag’ attack
By Zev Stub
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, surrounded by supporters, during an election campaign tour in Ashdod, September 29, 2026. (Liron Moldovan/Flash90)
October 1, 2026, 12:50 pm
Will the flydubai attack save Netanyahu’s struggling campaign?
The PM, with his eye for optics, is leveraging the power of incumbency to link himself with the passengers’ heroism — and suggest that Israel is in too much danger to take a risk on someone new
By Ben Sales
An undated photo of Captain Smit Machchhar, captain of a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv that suffered an emergency mid-air, with the copilot subdued after stabbing Machchhar in an alleged attempt to crash the plane full of Israelis, September 30, 2026. (Danny Danon via X)
October 1, 2026, 6:46 am
‘Immense courage and resolve’: Pilot feted for crucial role in saving the lives of all aboard flydubai 1073
Indian national Smit Machchhar undergoes surgery in Saudi Arabia after being attacked by Omani copilot, who Netanyahu says ‘obviously hated Israelis’ while acknowledging his ‘exact background’ remains unclear
By Agencies and ToI Staff
A flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft prepares for landing at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in Lod on September 30, 2026. (Jack Guez/AFP)
October 1, 2026, 2:38 am
Cockpit attack puts spotlight on flydubai, a key air link for Israelis since Oct. 7
Airline, which has played important role in helping Israelis travel to locations across world via Dubai, announces suspension of service to and from Israel as incident investigated
By JTA and ToI Staff
L: President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. R: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP, Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)
September 30, 2026, 11:52 pm
Netanyahu, Sa’ar speak to Emirati counterparts, vow cooperation after flydubai attack
Foreign Ministry briefs Israeli diplomats that attemped hijacking was attack on Abraham Accords; US AG says Washington coordinating with Mideast counterparts; flydubai temporarily suspends route
By Nava Freiberg, Jacob Magid, ToI Staff and Agencies
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Yaniv Harun, one of the Israelis who helped subdue a flydubai copilot who allegedly sought to hijack and crash a plane full of Israelis, on the passengers' return to Ben Gurion Airport on September 30, 2026. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)
September 30, 2026, 11:26 pm
Flydubai attack becomes election flashpoint as opponents draw Oct. 7 parallels
Government allies say attack vindicates Netanyahu’s warnings of pre-vote attacks; opposition says it instead recalls state’s security failures, civilians forced to fend for themselves
By Ariela Karmel
Passengers embark on a FlyDubai aircraft at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, September 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
September 30, 2026, 10:26 pm
Israel to expand security checks on pilots after flydubai airplane attack
PM orders authorities to ‘ramp up security’ on flights operated by Israeli and non-Israeli carriers alike, as questions arise about UAE civil aviation regulator’s vetting process
By Reuters
Passengers from a flydubai flight whose copilot allegedly sought to hijack and crash the plane arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, September 30, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
September 30, 2026, 7:02 pm
Passengers laud ‘heroism’ of Israelis who subdued flydubai flight attacker, as videos show moments of fear
Passenger Tzvika Manes describes a crew member entering cockpit and throwing copilot out, as he and two other Israelis jumped on him, tied him up with airline headphones
By ToI Staff, Emanuel Fabian and AFP
A passenger is seen with a bloodied shirt aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv that suffered an emergency mid-air, with the copilot subdued after stabbing the captain in an alleged attempt to crash the plane full of Israelis, September 30, 2026 (Social media: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
September 30, 2026, 2:44 pm
Copilot subdued after stabbing pilot in alleged attempt to crash plane full of Israelis
Flydubai flight from UAE lands safely in Saudi Arabia with no non-crewmembers seriously hurt after Israeli passengers rush cockpit, subdue stabber; Israeli warplanes were scrambled
By Emanuel Fabian, Lazar Berman and ToI Staff
Founding editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing podcast. (ToI/ Boarding1Now/iStock/Screenshot via Google Maps)
September 30, 2026, 2:33 pm
Daily Briefing Sept. 30 – Israelis land safely in Saudi Arabia after suspected plane terror
Editor David Horovitz on the developing facts surrounding the redirected flydubai flight, rare condemnations following extremist settler violence, and electioneering 4 weeks from vote
By Amanda Borschel-Dan and David Horovitz
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