Flydubai Pilots Praised for Foiling Hijacking Attempt
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Two off-duty pilots secured a Flydubai plane after a hijacking attempt.
- They landed the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia.
- Passenger Daniel Schlichter detailed the pilots' heroic actions.
- Initial passenger fears arose due to the pilots' lack of communication.
- The pilots eventually reassured passengers before landing.
Two off-duty Flydubai pilots, whose identities have not been released, are being hailed as heroes for safely landing a plane in Saudi Arabia following a hijacking attempt. The incident occurred four days prior, when a passenger, identified as Yaniv Hayun, attempted to seize control of the aircraft. Daniel Schlichter, a passenger who was returning from a vacation in Japan, recounted the events, describing the quick actions of the pilots and the initial fear among passengers that the pilots might be complicit.
Schlichter explained that the two pilots were on board because they were scheduled to fly the plane back to Dubai from Tel Aviv. After Hayun grabbed the co-pilot and passengers struggled to subdue him, one of the off-duty pilots rushed into the cockpit and took control of the aircraft. The second pilot then joined him, and they secured the cockpit door, preventing further interference.
"He really jumped over the people dealing with the terrorist, got into the cockpit and started to take control," Schlichter said. "And then the second guy, the second pilot, joined, and they closed the door because they didn't want anyone else in there. He really acted like a hero. He took control of the plane and reacted as if he understood exactly what was happening. I think we owe him our lives no less than the other heroes on the flight."
Despite their heroic actions, Schlichter admitted that some passengers initially harbored suspicions about the pilots' intentions due to their lack of communication after securing the cockpit. "After they managed to stabilize the plane, they didn't communicate with us at all," he stated. "I have to say, it worried me. I feared that maybe they were hijacking the plane to Iran, or somewhere else."
Approximately 45 minutes after taking control, the pilots informed the passengers that they would be landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia and assured them that everything would be alright. Schlichter concluded by saying, "Then I decided to trust them."
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