Injured Pilot Recounts Near-Disaster to Indian PM

Captain Samit Majahar, the pilot of the Flydubai flight who survived an attempted attack by the co-pilot, spoke on Indian television with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Majahar described the dramatic moments in the cockpit, stating, "I had so many injuries, but I've been a captain for 11 years and even with my eyes closed, I know what's happening on the plane." He recounted feeling the plane plummet and believing it was his final moments, saying, "I fought for my life. I tried to crawl and opened the door. I understood that if I wasn't brave, 170 passengers would lose their lives." Majahar also praised the medical care he received in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He expressed deep emotion speaking with Modi, saying, "Only in conversation with you now do I feel so much pride in myself, until now I didn't feel it. Now it happened, sorry I'm crying in front of you."

The Omani co-pilot is being investigated in Saudi Arabia and has been transferred to the UAE. Both Saudi and UAE authorities reportedly believe the motive for the attempted attack was nationalistic rather than psychological. U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Iran might be linked to the incident, though investigations are ongoing. The focus is on whether the pilot was directed externally or used onboard equipment. International regulations regarding pilots flying to destinations where they are not authorized to land are also being examined for potential security gaps.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told Fox News that the co-pilot is believed to have undergone "Islamist radicalization." He added that while a connection to Iran is still being investigated, the UAE is leading the inquiry. Netanyahu also highlighted a loophole in procedures that allowed the Omani pilot, a citizen of a country without diplomatic ties to Israel, to fly for an airline serving Israel. He stated that Israel is addressing such vulnerabilities, referencing background checks conducted on pilots who recently rescued Israeli passengers from Saudi Arabia.

In a separate interview with CBS, Netanyahu characterized the event not as a hijacking attempt but as a "suicide attack attempt," emphasizing the need for enhanced pilot background checks and aircraft security. Security officials in Israel have indicated no specific intelligence pointed to an Iranian directive, and a Shin Bet inquiry found no targeted warnings, calling it a "security and intelligence failure" that could have led to disaster. The UAE's Attorney General has ordered a special investigation team to examine the incident, gather evidence, and determine the circumstances, motives, and any potential links to terrorism or prior planning. The UAE authorities stressed that the investigation is ongoing and urged against speculation, asserting their legal jurisdiction over incidents on aircraft registered in the UAE.