Saudi Arabia and Jordan denied flydubai flight clearance to land
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
A pilot sends out a mayday call with a suspected terrorist on board, and two U. S. allies tell the plane to go away.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
Saudi Arabia and Jordan initially rejected landing clearance for the flydubai flight facing a terrorist hijacking attempt despite a terrifying mayday call from the cabin, according to multiple reports.
After the heroic passengers stormed the cockpit to rescue the pilot from his treacherous first officer, a trembling voice was heard asking Saudi Arabia’s air traffic control office for permission to land, one source who heard the call told the Associated Press.
The unidentified person on the plane reported the attempted hijacking via a “Mayday” call, informing authorities that ambulances would be needed on the ground. Flight Captain Smit Machchhar , an Indian national, was seriously wounded in the attack, having been stabbed in the head, arm and torso.
His blood littered the floor of the cockpit. Those inside the air traffic control office could hear passengers screaming in the background as those on the plane rushed to get it back in the proper altitude after it plunged some 18,000 feet.
Despite the plea to land, the off-duty pilots who took control of the plane were instead denied permission and redirected to Jordan airspace, the source said. The plane was then allegedly told to wait for landing clearance from Jordan’s military before being turned away several minutes later.
The pilots were forced to divert back to Saudi Arabia and asked to land again, with authorities finally giving permission to head toward Tabuk Airport. The air traffic controllers gave no reason for why the first request was denied, the source added.
Flydubai Flight 1073 was en route to Israel on Wednesday when its co-pilot, who has yet to be publicly named, attacked Machchhar in an attempt to bring down the plane, Israeli officials said. The plane landed safely in Tabuk, and Machchhar was rushed to the hospital for treatment, with Indian officials confirming that the veteran pilot is in stable condition.
The passengers were provided a rescue flight and landed in Tel Aviv hours after the incident.
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Read at New York PostHow We See It
New Republican Times Editorial Board
A pilot sends out a mayday call with a suspected terrorist on board, and two U.S. allies tell the plane to go away. That is the part of Wednesday’s flydubai incident that should make every traveler’s blood run cold. The crew was begging for help. Saudi Arabia and Jordan initially refused clearance to land. There is no bureaucratic excuse that makes that acceptable.
Whatever the stated reason, the signal is terrible. If a plane in distress cannot get emergency landing rights from friends, then what exactly does “ally” mean anymore? These are the same partners who expect American support when their own security is on the line. They want the protection, but they balk at the responsibility. This is not how allies behave. It is how fair-weather friends behave.
The good news is that the plane landed safely and the attack was thwarted. But this should be a wake-up call for anyone who assumes the region’s governments are pulling their weight in the counterterrorism fight. Bureaucratic caution can cost lives. The Trump administration has spent years pressing Gulf states to take threats seriously. This is the latest test, and too many of them keep failing it. We need partners who open the runway when the mayday call goes out, not ones who make a terrified crew argue for the right to survive.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.