Netanyahu invites Indian pilot who saved flydubai flight to Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited the Indian captain of a flydubai flight that was heading to Tel Aviv to visit Israel as his guest of honour.

The invitation was extended to Captain Smit Machchhar during a telephone conversation after the pilot reportedly saved the aircraft following an attack in the cockpit.

In a video of the conversation released by Netanyahu’s office on Saturday, the Israeli prime minister described Machchhar as a hero of India, Israel and the world.

“You are a true hero of the brave peoples of India and Israel, and you are a hero of the entire world,” Netanyahu told the pilot.

The invitation came after the United Arab Emirates Attorney General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said preliminary findings from an investigation showed that the co-pilot of the flydubai flight had allegedly attempted to carry out what he described as a terrorist act.

According to the UAE official news agency, WAM, Al Shamsi said the co-pilot allegedly used an emergency axe to attack the captain inside the cockpit before trying to take control of the aircraft.

“The co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist act,” WAM quoted the Attorney General as saying.

The flight, which was travelling to Israel, was diverted on Wednesday following the incident.

A passenger on board had earlier claimed that one of the pilots attacked the other and attempted to crash the aircraft, putting the lives of everyone on board at risk.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.