Israel was prepared to take the extraordinary step of shooting down a Flydubai passenger aircraft carrying more than 150 Israeli citizens after a violent cockpit attack raised fears of a potential hijacking and a possible strike against targets in Israel.

The crisis unfolded on September 30 aboard Flydubai Flight 1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar and attempted to seize control of the aircraft.

As the struggle erupted in the cockpit, the aircraft entered a dramatic descent, reportedly losing around 16,000 feet in little more than 30 seconds. The sudden plunge triggered alarm within Israel's security establishment, which feared the aircraft could be heading towards a 9/11-style attack scenario.

Efforts by the Israeli Air Force to establish radio contact with the cockpit received no response. In response, emergency protocols were immediately activated.

Israeli authorities established a command centre, closed national airspace and scrambled fighter aircraft to assess the developing threat. The incident was treated as a possible hijacking involving an aircraft approaching Israeli territory.

According to reports, Israeli fighter pilots were prepared to intercept the aircraft and conduct close visual inspections of both the cockpit and passenger cabin if the jet had continued towards Tel Aviv.

Their objective would have been to determine whether the aircraft had been successfully hijacked and whether passengers appeared to be under duress.

Had a hijacking been confirmed and the attackers remained silent, the matter would have been escalated to Israel's top political leadership, including the Defence Minister and Prime Minister.

Under Israeli procedures, the authority to order the destruction of a civilian aircraft rests solely with the Prime Minister.

Israeli officials reportedly believed that, if necessary, the aircraft could have been intercepted before reaching major national targets such as Ben Gurion Airport or Tel Aviv's Azrieli Centre.

The situation changed when authorities determined that the aircraft had diverted away from Israel and was heading towards Saudi Arabia.

Israeli fighter jets were subsequently recalled, while Saudi Arabia scrambled its own aircraft as the emergency unfolded within the region's airspace.

The crisis was ultimately resolved through the actions of Captain Machchhar, who continued fighting despite suffering severe injuries after being attacked with a cockpit crash axe. The injured captain succeeded in unlocking the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene.

Passengers then overpowered al-Hammami, ending the immediate threat inside the cockpit.

Two off-duty pilots travelling aboard the flight subsequently took control of the aircraft and safely diverted it to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, bringing one of the most serious aviation security incidents in recent years to a close.

ANI