Flydubai captain reveals how he foiled ‘terror plot’ after mid-air axe attack

Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar has described how he fought off an axe attack by a co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month, in an incident that reportedly involved an attempt to crash a plane carrying Israeli passengers. Speaking to The National from a hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, Machchhar recounted blocking blows to his head and screaming for help while reaching for a control to open the cockpit door. He initially thought the first impact was caused by a serious problem with the aircraft structure before realising he was under attack. Israeli passengers reportedly helped overpower the Omani co-pilot and stabilise the situation, averting a potential disaster. Israeli envoy Danny Danon referenced the alleged attempt to crash the aircraft in a post on X dated September 30, 2026.