Israel was ready to shoot down Flydubai jet if it continued towards Tel Aviv: Report

TEL AVIV: Israel scrambled fighter jets and stood ready to shoot down the Flydubai plane if it had pressed on towards Tel Aviv in the wake of a cockpit stabbing attack, a CBS News report said.

Flight 1073 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar and sought to gain control of the aircraft. The jet then lost 16,000 feet of altitude in just over 30 seconds, sparking fears inside Israel that the incident could amount to a hijacking or an attack directed at the country.

Israeli Air Force personnel attempted to reach the cockpit by radio but received no answer. A pre-set emergency system was engaged, a command centre was formed and Israeli airspace was sealed while fighter jets were scrambled.

Those jets were subsequently withdrawn after officials established that the aircraft had turned towards Saudi Arabia and was preparing for an emergency landing. Saudi Arabia likewise scrambled fighter jets, according to the CBS News report.If the plane had maintained its course for Tel Aviv, Israeli fighter pilots were prepared to close the distance and seek visual contact with the occupants of the cockpit, the report indicated.

The purpose would have been to decide whether a hijacking had occurred and to clarify the nature of the crisis. CBS News stated that confirmation of a hijacking combined with silence from the attackers could have led to the matter being referred to Israel’s Defence Minister and Prime Minister.

Authority to order the aircraft brought down would ultimately have rested with the Prime Minister. Israeli sources disclosed to CBS News that had a successful hijacking transpired and the aircraft maintained its trajectory toward the nation, authorities were confident it could have been intercepted prior to reaching Tel Aviv, averting a potential strike against vulnerable infrastructure, including Ben Gurion Airport and the Azrieli Centre.

The high-stakes crisis ultimately drew to a close when Machchhar, notwithstanding severe injuries sustained from a crash axe assault, succeeded in unlocking the cockpit door. Passengers then subdued al-Hammami, and two off-duty pilots travelling on the flight assumed command before diverting the aircraft to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.