Report: Israel was prepared to shoot down Flydubai plane

On September 30, 2022, flydubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced an emergency situation when the co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, allegedly attempting to take control of the aircraft. The plane rapidly descended 14,000 feet within 30 seconds, prompting immediate response from Israeli authorities. According to two Israeli sources cited by CBS News, Israel was prepared to shoot down the flydubai aircraft as it approached Tel Aviv.

However, the plane turned towards Saudi Arabia, and Israeli fighter jets were called back before reaching the aircraft.

If the plane had continued its original course, Israeli fighter pilots were ready to visually confirm the situation and engage the aircraft if necessary. A visual confirmation would have been made to determine if a hijacking occurred. If visual contact was achieved and a hijacking was confirmed with silence from the attackers, the matter would have been escalated to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the defense minister.

The protocol in this scenario called for the rogue flight to be shot down, but the authority to order such an action would have rested with the Prime Minister. The sources told CBS News that shooting down the plane was considered preferable to hundreds of lives being lost if the aircraft crashed into a prominent building in Israel.

Captain Machchhar, despite sustaining severe injuries, managed to unlock the cockpit door, alert passengers and crew, and ultimately subdue the attacker. Two off-duty pilots traveling on the flight took control of the aircraft and safely diverted it to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.