FlyDubai passengers recount terrifying ordeal

Charlotte Gallagher (0:00)

This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Charlotte Gallagher, and in the early hours of Thursday, the 1st of October, these are our main stories. Passengers on a flight to Israel describe how they overpowered the co-pilot after he stabbed the pilot and apparently tried to crash the plane. And new data shows Switzerland's glaciers lost more than 5% of their ice this year. As a result of climate change.

Also in this podcast, how adults and children use different senses to perceive emotions, and why AI has resurrected the Hollywood actress Greta Garbo.

SPEAKER_2 (0:46)

Zero fiction, remarkable speed.

Charlotte Gallagher (0:50)

We look at the ethics of so-called ghostploitation.

Israeli passengers who were caught up in terrifying scenes on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv have made an emotional return home to Ben Gurion Airport. A pilot stabbed his co-pilot and apparently attempted to crash the plane, which plummeted 5,000 meters in two minutes. Passengers then stormed the cockpit to subdue the attacker and the plane was safely diverted to Saudi Arabia by off-duty pilots who were on the flight.

The pilot who launched the attack has been arrested and is being questioned by Saudi authorities. The injured pilot is reported to be in a stable condition in hospital. But there are still many unanswered questions. No information has been released about the identity of the attacker or how he was able to have access to a weapon on board. Our correspondent Yogatullah Mai reports from Tel Aviv.

Yogatullah Mai (1:55)

In Tel Aviv, families began arriving at the airport once they were told their loved ones were on their way home from Saudi Arabia. When the passengers landed, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met them. Some of them said the pilot who was stabbed managed to open the cockpit door despite his injuries. Israel has identified him as Indian national Smith Machar. Finally, late in the evening, the passengers came out of the airport.

Asaf Rajwan, who tackled the attacker, got a hero's welcome.

Asaf Rajwan (2:35)

I didn't think about it. It's, you know, it's just, it's something that you do without thinking, just running to there. You save your daughter's life, your family wife, and all the people in the plane. You don't think, you don't think, you just act.

Yogatullah Mai (2:49)

Moti Kona, another passenger, described his terrifying experience.

Moti Kona (2:55)

In my life, I've never seen death pass before my eyes. It was frightening situation. The plane was swerving from side to side. At one stage, there was no pilots.

One was neutralized and the other was in shock.

Yogatullah Mai (3:10)

Today, there is much joy and celebration here. Tomorrow, a search for answers must begin.

Charlotte Gallagher (3:17)

The attack has prompted strong political reaction ahead of hugely consequential election in Israel later this month, as I heard from our Middle East specialist, Sebastian Usher.

Sebastian Usher (3:28)

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was on the ropes. He had always presented himself as Mr. Security. And of course, on his watch, October the 7th happened. He's not allowed an independent investigation to take place. A lot of pressure from his rivals to do that. So he was in a difficult situation. I think this makes the situation easier for now, at least. Obviously, it's a diversion. I mean, it's nothing to do with him that it ended well as far as Israel's concerned. But I mean, he will benefit from that. This could have been a terrible disaster, obviously. And I think the messaging that he's trying to get across and his supporters trying to get across came through when he was at the airport. He was meeting the Israelis who were on the plane when they came back. And one of them, the passenger who says that he was one of those who was able to get into the cockpit and wrestle with the co-pilot. He even said he took control of the plane briefly. He'd seen how to do it on TV.

He greeted Mr. Netanyahu and was greeted by the Israeli Prime Minister as kind of equals and used the same phraseology that Mr. Netanyahu has used a lot, that he rose like a lion essentially to the challenge. And this is something that echoes what Mr. Netanyahu used just last week at the UN General Assembly and very much in support of his strategy that Israel must not stop its fight until it's defeated its enemies. He's received criticism from political rivals, but he's making political capital out of this.

The opposition leader Yair Lapid said that what happened with this flight had nothing to do with what Mr. Netanyahu was warning about just a day ago when he was saying there might be a major attack. He was saying, you can't use it this way. This was something quite different. You did not say this was going to happen. So don't try and play up as if it was.