Flydubai flight’s startling turn has deeper meanings for West Asian region
Beyond the cockpit drama is a deepening strategic partnership that involves Israel, India, the UAE and the US – also known as I2U2.
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Dubai Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum meeting Indian captain Smit Machchhar, who was stabbed by a colleague aboard the flydubai plane.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Last week, at an altitude of 34,000 feet, an extraordinary cockpit event became an allegory for some of the shimmering geopolitical shapes solidifying over the desert sands of the broad West Asian region.
An Indian captain flying a flydubai plane from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv, Israel, is attacked from behind by his Omani deputy and manages to open the cockpit door after a terrible struggle. Passengers flood in to overpower the assailant, and a plumber on board stabilises the diving aircraft before non-duty Israeli pilots take over to land it safely – the American-built plane’s resilience against near-impossible G forces itself a marvel of engineering.