Indian pilot saves Dubai flight after cockpit attack

How does Flydubai make money?

Flydubai is a budget airline based in Dubai. Its founder, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum (a senior member of Dubai's ruling family), launched it in 2008 to offer low-cost flights that compete with bigger Gulf carriers. It makes money by selling low ticket prices and adding charges for extras like baggage and seat selection. As part of the Emirates group, it feeds passengers into Dubai's hub.

Why is it so hard to stop a rogue pilot?

Post-9/11 rules lock cockpit doors from the inside to keep hijackers out, which traps crews with a dangerous pilot. Psychological screening is mostly an honor-system questionnaire, not deep testing. Since 2001, more lives have been lost to pilot suicide than terrorism. A conscious attacker can also block emergency entry codes, as seen in the 2015 Germanwings crash, where a co-pilot deliberately crashed a plane.

How often do pilots turn on each other midair?

Rare but documented: the 2015 Germanwings crash killed 150 when a co-pilot deliberately flew into a mountain, an off-duty Alaska pilot tried to cut engines in 2023, and in June 2022 two Air France pilots fought in the cockpit. Standard procedure assumes one pilot always stays in control, but a determined co-pilot can lock the captain out or attack. Watch whether regulators add secondary cockpit barriers to existing planes.

What happened to the Flydubai flight in the end?

All 174 passengers and crew survived. The injured captain, Smit Machchhar, opened the cockpit door so passengers and crew could restrain the co-pilot, who is Omani. The plane landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Captain Machchhar was treated in hospital and was expected to be airlifted to Dubai. The co-pilot was detained and an investigation was launched.

How did a co-pilot attack the captain inside a locked cockpit?

Because the co-pilot was already inside the locked cockpit with the captain, so the door couldn't keep him out. He stabbed Captain Machchhar, who, despite his injuries, managed to unlock the door. Passengers then rushed in and restrained the co-pilot, and another pilot landed the plane safely.

Do we know the motives of the attacker?

No, an official motive hasn't been confirmed. The UAE attorney general has launched a criminal investigation into the attack, examining whether it involved prior planning or any connection to "terrorist activity or intent." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the co-pilot "underwent Islamist radical indoctrination," but the airline says reasons remain unknown and urges against speculation.

Who was the hero in this story?

The hero was Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot of flight FZ1073. Despite being stabbed and seriously injured by his co-pilot, he fought back, unlocked the cockpit door, and let passengers and crew restrain the attacker. He was praised by Israeli PM Netanyahu (Israel's prime minister) for saving 174 lives, and is recovering in Abu Dhabi.

Has this happened before in the region?

Yes, it has. In 2015 a Germanwings co-pilot deliberately crashed a plane in the Alps, killing 150 people. There have also been cases on Mozambique Airlines in 2013 and EgyptAir, and a suspected deliberate crash by China Eastern in 2022. These involve pilots acting deliberately from inside the cockpit.

Are cockpit incidents like this a real vulnerability?

Yes. Since 9/11, cockpit doors are locked from the inside, keeping hijackers out but trapping crews with a rogue pilot. An aviation security expert says more lives have been lost to pilot suicide than terrorism since 2001. The 2015 Germanwings crash, where a co-pilot deliberately flew a plane into a mountain killing 150, showed the same weakness.

Why can cockpit doors be opened from inside but not outside?

After 9/11, when hijackers stormed cockpits from the cabin, doors were made nearly impossible to open from outside, so the pilot inside holds the key. This design stops attackers but locks the crew in with a rogue pilot. In this case, the injured captain managed to unlock it.

Do airlines check pilots for mental health at all?

Yes, airlines check pilots for criminal history and security threats, but mental health screening is much weaker. Pilots fill out a questionnaire asking if they feel mentally stable, essentially an honor system with no deeper federal requirement. Standards vary by country, so a determined pilot could hide their intentions.

What stops a pilot who wants to crash?

Very little, ultimately. After 9/11, cockpit doors were hardened to keep hijackers out, but that doesn't stop a pilot already inside. Screening and background checks exist, yet psychological checks are minimal and largely rely on the honor system. The final safeguard is trusting the crew, which failed in this case.