One of two off-duty pilots who intervened when a co-pilot stabbed another pilot aboard a flight to Israel is a New Zealander, according to reports in aviation media.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade could not confirm that and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the information he received this morning was that no New Zealanders were on the flight.
The attacker stabbed his colleague and tried to bring down the FlyDubai flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel carrying about 170 passengers.
The aircraft plunged from 33,000ft to 17,000ft in roughly a minute as terrified passengers feared a hijacking.
Video shared from the cabin showed a pilot with blood on his shirt being treated in the aisle and another man restrained on the floor.
As Israel scrambled fighter jets out of concern for a possible hijacking, a passenger and crew member broke into the cockpit to subdue the attacker and other crew members gained control of the aircraft, which landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
An Israeli official told specialist aviation media one of these off-duty pilots - one a South African citizen and one from New Zealand - forced their way into the cockpit and overpowered the first officer.
Alongside cabin crew and other passengers, they reportedly pinned the attacker to the floor and regained control of the aircraft.
The Aviation Herald reported: "An Israeli official reported that two other pilots in civil clothes travelling as passengers intervened successfully, these are also the ones shown on the passenger pictures with blood on their shirts. One of the pilots is citizen of South Africa, the other of New Zealand."
New Zealand has a significant pilot training industry and many Kiwi pilots fly in the Middle East.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: "We are aware of reports that a New Zealand citizen was among the 174 people on board, however we do not yet have formal confirmation of that."
Luxon, speaking at a National Party campaign event at Coronet Peak, said: "I have seen the media reports. Obviously there were some very brave actions from some of the passengers there. The information I had this morning was there were no New Zealanders on board that flight."
Officials would continue to check that during the day, he said.
Safety measures
The cockpit door on all aircraft is locked during flight for security reasons — a measure that became the industry standard after the September 11, 2001 attacks, in which hijackers broke into the cockpits of four domestic flights in the United States.
It's unclear how the passenger and crew managed to get into the FlyDubai cockpit since aircraft doors are reinforced to withstand attempts to break them down.
It was not yet officially confirmed who flew the aircraft for the landing.
- Additional reporting by The Associated Press
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including terror on board an Israel bound plane, and farewell to a famous voice of sport. (Source: 1News)
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