Flydubai Passenger Recounts Suspicious Crew Behavior During Hijacking Attempt

An Israeli passenger on a Flydubai flight during a hijacking attempt has described his suspicions about two flight attendants, whom he described as physically imposing and acting unusually. Asaf Rajuan, who was involved in detaining the hijacker, told investigators that the flight attendants' behavior during the flight, including nervous glances and questioning if he was a police officer, seemed odd. He noted that they appeared to know the access code to the cockpit and entered it multiple times. Rajuan stated that one flight attendant gave the injured captain, Smith Machchhar, an unknown pill, possibly aspirin, while dentist Shota Musaev provided aid. Rajuan also recalled that the flight attendants insisted passengers not record the events and that one attempted to loosen the restraints on the apprehended hijacker, actions that greatly agitated the passengers. "We were afraid of them. They were real beasts," Rajuan stated, expressing fear that they might have had weapons. He acknowledged that the flight attendants might have been acting out of stress and was shocked when one told him that if the pilot died, the plane would still land safely. Previously, it was reported that the second pilot of the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv had planned to hijack the plane and crash it into Ben Gurion Airport's terminal in a suicide attack, according to UAE authorities.