Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Israeli civilian passenger Yaniv Ohayon after he helped to stop a hijacking attempt aboard a flydubai commercial flight on September 30.

He met with a passenger of flydubai flight en route to Tel Aviv that abruptly landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on September 30 following an alleged physical altercation involving the pilots which included the co-pilot stabbing the pilot, according to some reports.

While the flight landed safely and no casualties were reported, a senior Israeli official indicated that one of the pilots appeared to be intent on suicide, willingly attempting to crash the plane in the process.

Netanyahu publicly recognised Ohayon’s actions as well as the heroics of Indian Captain Smit Machchhar in averting a mass-casualty event. 

The confrontation in the cockpit occurred mid-flight when the co-pilot, believed to be Omani, attacked Machchhar, triggering a steep descent that saw the aircraft plunge 17,400 feet in under two minutes, CNN reported.

Despite sustaining critical injuries, Machchhar successfully unlocked the jammed cockpit door, enabling Ohayon and other passengers to breach the flight deck and secure the assailant in a chokehold.

Ohayon temporarily manipulated the flight controls to arrest the dive before the aircraft was safely diverted to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Ohayon, a plumber, was travelling with his family.

“He acted with coolness of judgment and heroism,” Netanyahu said in a Fox News interview. “They stopped a disaster that could have been global.”

He added that the passengers and Machchhar took actions that took “tremendous courage that prevented another 9/11.”

In a separate post on X, Netanyahu praised the pilot specifically.

“My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery,” Netanyahu wrote.

“Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker, preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster,” Netanyahu continued.

“He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals,” the Israeli prime minister declared, calling Machchhar “a true hero.”

While a potential disaster may have been averted, a multi-state security investigation is underway.

The co-pilot is currently undergoing intense interrogation in Saudi Arabia and is slated for subsequent transfer to the United Arab Emirates, Fox News reported.

Netanyahu confirmed Israel’s immediate intelligence sharing with Abu Dhabi, adding that he had spoken with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and that an investigation would soon get underway, as per Kan News.

US intelligence and diplomatic channels are also actively monitoring the Saudi-led investigation, given the confirmed presence of four American nationals on the aircraft. "The Trump administration takes seriously its commitment to the safety of Americans overseas, and stands ready to provide them with consular assistance," a US State Department official told local media.