![A replacement Flydubai plane lands at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, carrying passengers from flight FZ1073, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia after transmitting an emergency code while flying through Jordanian airspace, on September 30, 2026. [Nir Keidar - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AA-20260930-42614008-42614004-FLYDUBAI_FLIGHT_FROM_DUBAI_TO_TEL_AVIV_LANDS_AT_BEN_GURION_AIRPORT_AFTER_SAUDI_ARABIA_DIVERSION-1-1.jpg)
UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash on Friday described an incident aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv as a “terrorist act,” praising the captain for his actions during the emergency, Anadolu reports. “Indian captain Smit Machchhar deserves every appreciation,” Gargash said on US social media platform X, describing him as a “true hero.” “In confronting a serious terrorist act and a potential disaster, he embodied the true meaning of courage and responsibility,” Gargash said. He also praised the pilot’s professionalism and “moral sense in the darkest circumstances.” READ: Israel’s airline El Al cancels Dubai evacuation flights after UAE withdraws landing permits Flydubai flight FZ1073, carrying 174 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was granted permission to make an emergency […]
