If that had happened, Israel would have shot down flydubai flight; Changed decision at last moment

TEL AVIV: Reports say Israeli authorities thought of shooting down the aircraft following an attack on pilot Smit Machchhar by his co-pilot aboard a Dubai–Tel Aviv flydubai flight. The co-pilot, an Omani national identified as Hamam al-Hammami, stabbed and severely injured Machchhar inside the cockpit using an emergency crash axe. His plan was to take over the control of the flight.

Sources close to the matter reported that Israel then prepared to shoot down the aircraft. Around 150 Israeli citizens were on board the flydubai flight. However, Smit regained control of the aircraft and made an emergency landing at an airport in Saudi Arabia.

The aircraft plunged sharply by 14,000 feet amidst the attack. Israeli Air Force officials then attempted to establish contact with the cockpit, but received no response. It is reported that fighter jets were deployed and a command center was set up to assess the situation. If the flydubai aircraft had come within a certain distance of Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel would have sent fighter jets into Jordanian airspace to assess the situation.

The Israeli authorities would have inspected the cockpit and assessed the situation. If the aircraft was deemed to pose a threat, Israel had the legal authority to shoot it down. However, the decision to do so could only be taken by the Prime Minister.

Israeli sources said that, rather than allowing a passenger aircraft to crash into key buildings in Israel and cause a major catastrophe, shooting down the aircraft would be the preferable option.