Passengers and crew subdued an alleged attacker aboard a Flydubai flight after reports that the captain, identified by some outlets as Smit Machchhar, was stabbed; two off‑duty pilots later landed the plane. Israeli leaders lauded intervening passengers and ordered stepped‑up security checks, while Israeli officials say the suspect may be Omani. UK front pages also paid tribute to broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen, who died aged 86, and covered separate political and security developments.
Chaos Aboard Flydubai Flight: Passengers Subdue Alleged Attacker After Captain Stabbed — UK Front Pages Also Honor Dame Esther Rantzen
Many of the papers are leading on the passengers who helped prevent a possible plane hijacking of a flight bound for Israel. The Daily Telegraph explains that on Wednesday, a Flydubai jet carrying Israelis from Dubai to Tel Aviv went into a nosedive after the pilot was stabbed by his co-pilot at 34,000 ft. Passengers were able to wrestle the suspected hijacker from the cockpit and subdue him, the paper said. It adds that "hero" passengers could have stopped "Israel's 9/11", with security sources telling the Telegraph that the "terrorist" may have been planning to crash the plane into an Israeli city. [BBC]
Front pages across the UK focused on dramatic images and reports after an incident on a Flydubai flight in which the captain, identified by some outlets as Smit Machchhar, was reportedly stabbed. Passengers and crew intervened to restrain an alleged attacker, and two off‑duty pilots later took control and landed the aircraft safely.
What Happened On Board
Multiple media reports describe a violent cabin incident that left the captain wounded. Some outlets reported the aircraft dropped roughly 17,000ft in about two minutes while passengers and crew fought to subdue the suspected attacker. Israeli officials speaking to certain outlets said the alleged assailant may be Omani; neither Oman nor the UAE, where the flight originated, has issued a public comment.
Reactions And Security Measures
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the intervening passengers as "lions" and described the captain as a "true hero," while instructing authorities to increase security checks on flights to Israel, regardless of the carrier. Israel's Defence Minister characterised the event as an "attempted jihadist terror attack," and some anonymous Israeli sources told The Guardian that the episode is being treated as a terror investigation.
Eyewitness Accounts And Media Coverage
Several front pages published photographs of the injured captain wearing an oxygen mask. Reports highlighted the actions of passengers such as Yaniv Hayun, who is said to have confronted the assailant and helped remove him from the cockpit while others worked to stabilise the aircraft. The Metro and other outlets reported two off‑duty pilots — one described by some reports as British — later took control and landed the plane without further incident.
Tributes To Dame Esther Rantzen
Many newspapers also led with tributes to broadcaster and campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, who died aged 86 after a three‑year battle with lung cancer. Coverage recalled her founding of Childline, her campaigning work, and her later advocacy for assisted dying, and published statements from her family and colleagues.
Other Political And Security Headlines
Separate political coverage included the Financial Times reporting on Prime Minister Andy Burnham's comments about a different incident near RAF Fairford and suggestions of possible Iranian involvement — claims Tehran has denied. The Guardian reported that senior Downing Street officials have been contacting think tanks and pollsters to test public appetite for the UK rejoining the EU, a move described by some as politically sensitive and potentially risky.
Editor's note: Reporting is based on initial accounts from multiple outlets; many details remain unconfirmed by authorities and the situation is subject to further investigation.
Photographs from the Flydubai flight are front and centre of the Times, which names the stabbed pilot as Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national. The paper says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the passengers who intervened as "lions", and declared Machchhar a "true hero" of "extraordinary bravery". It adds that the prime minister has instructed authorities to "ramp up security" on flights to Israel, regardless of whether they are operated by Israeli or non-Israeli airlines. [BBC]
Similarly, the headline of the i Paper reads: "Hero passengers storm cockpit to save Israel flight from disaster." According to the paper, Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz has described the incident as an "attempted jihadist terror attack". [BBC]
"We got him!" says the Metro, alongside a photograph of the man it says "took down" the alleged attacker. It reports that the plane "plummeted 17,000 ft in two minutes" as passengers and crew attempted to subdue the knifeman. Two off-duty pilots, including one the Metro says was British, were then able to take control and safely land the plane. [BBC]
Israeli officials who spoke to the Guardian on condition of anonymity said that the current assessment of the incident was that it was a terror attack. The alleged knifeman is Omani, they told the paper. There has been no comment on the attack from Oman, or the United Arab Emirates, where the flight was boarded. The Guardian's front page also features a tribute to broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen, who has died at the age of 86. [BBC]
"That was a great life, Esther" says the Sun, in a nod to Dame Esther's most well-known television show. The paper reports that the beloved presenter passed away on Wednesday after a three-year battle with lung cancer. [BBC]
Tributes to Dame Esther also lead the Daily Star, which says the Childline founder will be remembered as "our sunshine". [BBC]
The Daily Express focuses on the statement from Dame Esther's three "heartbroken" children, who have said their mother had an "endless capacity for love and joy". It notes that the "indefatigable campaigner" spent her final years as a "vociferous advocate of assisted dying". [BBC]
Dame Esther's own words feature in the Daily Mirror, after the note she left her grieving family prior to her death was shared with the general public. "Esther: See you on the other side" reads the paper's headline. [BBC]
Andy Burnham's comments on the incident at RAF Fairford are considered by the Financial Times in its main story, after the prime minister said there were "strong indications" that Iran was involved. The paper notes that Tehran has "categorically" rejected and strongly condemned the "malicious speculations", but adds that the exact nature of what happened near Fairford "remains unclear". [BBC]
The Daily Mail reports Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has drawn up proposals that would require school-leavers to undergo intensive work coaching, instead of being able to immediately sign on to Universal Credit. The paper calls it a "bid to stop young lives being wasted". [BBC]
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