Hero Passenger Who Broke Into Cockpit to Subdue Hijacker Receives Hero’s Welcome from Netanyahu (Video)

The Gateway Pundit reported that on Wednesday, an Israel-bound Flydubai flight made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after plunging thousands of feet following an attack in the cockpit.

Flight FZ1073 took off from Dubai for Tel Aviv with more than 170 people on board, almost all of them Israeli.

Less than an hour from entering Israeli airspace, Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot, was stabbed by his co-pilot, an Omani national.

After hearing screams from the cockpit, a group of passengers ran toward it, and one of the passengers, being referred to as Yaniv, broke down the door and subdued the co-pilot, who appeared to be attempting to damage the plane’s controls and crash the plane in Israel in a 9/11-style attack.

Israel Nation News shared footage of the moment passengers stormed the cockpit.

Netanyahu shared details of the incident and then gave a hero’s welcome to Yaniv when the plane returned safely to Israel.

The Prime Minister shared, “This morning, there was a serious security incident on a flight from Dubai to Israel. Almost all the passengers on the flight were Israelis. During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the second pilot, and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board.”

“I spoke with one of the Israeli passengers. He told me that the plane went into a spin and began to dive. He told me that, somehow or other, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and that together they neutralized the stabbing pilot while he was trying to sabotage the plane’s systems.”

“Another flight crew on board entered the cockpit and managed to stabilize the plane. I salute these heroes, who displayed exceptional resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives. They prevented a huge disaster. The plane landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. All passengers are out of danger.”

“The stabbing pilot was arrested and is currently being interrogated by the Saudi authorities. We are maintaining constant communication with the relevant authorities to ensure the ongoing well-being of the passengers and their safe return home. I have instructed the security services to prepare for additional potential threats. We are holding ongoing situation assessments, and we will update you as the situation develops…”

Watch:

Netanyahu called Yaniv a hero.

BREAKING: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets Yaniv, the hero passenger who helped storm the cockpit and stop an apparent attack aboard an Israel-bound Flydubai flight.

Yaniv sprang into action as chaos erupted aboard the flight, helping subdue the attacker before… pic.twitter.com/S3eV6veaqX

— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 30, 2026

NEW: Man tells Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu how he put the terrorist pilot of the Flydubai flight in a chokehold before leveling out the plane.

Yaniv Hayun, whose shirt was stained with blood, recalled the moment he helped subdue the attacker.

“I grabbed the attacker, put him… pic.twitter.com/A0el1MVTc6

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 30, 2026

The Prime Minister also saluted Captain Machchhar for his “extraordinary bravery” that, despite being gravely injured, he unlatched the cockpit door, allowing passengers to break in and subdue the attacker.

My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery.

Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air…

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) September 30, 2026

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