FlyDubai captain tells India
Captain Machchhar told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Hindu prayers helped him find the strength to get up after his co-pilot attacked him aboard a FlyDubai flight bound for Israel. He said he feared the plane was descending and believed he had to act to protect himself and the 173 others on board.
Machchhar said he opened the cockpit door, allowing others to enter. During a video call, he appeared with a head bandage and an oxygen tube. Modi wished him a full recovery and said people across India were behind him.
The co-pilot, whose identity has not been released, was moved from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday for questioning by Israeli, Emirati and Saudi officials, an Israeli official told CBS News. Saudi officials said he had been hospitalized with injuries that were not described.
An Omani official said the co-pilot was born in Oman and holds Omani citizenship; Oman’s government has not confirmed this publicly. President Donald Trump suggested he might have links to Iran, but the article reports no confirmation of such a connection. The investigation is continuing.
Key points
- Machchhar said Hindu prayers gave him courage to act during the attack.
- The co-pilot was transferred to the UAE for questioning by officials from three countries.
- The co-pilot’s nationality and any possible Iran connection remain unconfirmed.