Netanyahu invites flydubai captain to Israel after cockpit attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited flydubai captain Smit Machchhar to Israel as a guest of honour after an incident aboard a flight bound for Tel Aviv. Netanyahu praised Machchhar in a video released by his office during a telephone conversation with the captain. He called him a hero of India, Israel and the wider world.

The invitation followed an alleged attack in the cockpit of the flight, which was diverted on Wednesday. The UAE’s Attorney General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said the co-pilot had attempted to carry out what he described as a terrorist act. The official UAE news agency WAM quoted Al Shamsi as saying that initial findings indicated the co-pilot attacked the captain with the aircraft’s emergency axe and tried to take control of the plane.

A passenger also said that one of the pilots attacked the co-pilot and attempted to crash the aircraft, with the intention of killing everyone aboard. The source material does not provide details about the flight’s passengers, its destination after the diversion or any injuries. Netanyahu’s invitation makes Machchhar a public figure in the aftermath of the incident.

His office released the account of the prime minister’s conversation, while the UAE statement provided the authorities’ preliminary description of the alleged conduct. The investigation’s initial findings were presented by the UAE attorney general. The available material does not state whether charges have been filed, identify the co-pilot or give further information about the circumstances that led to the confrontation.