India will hold internal deliberations on whether an aviation security advisory is needed after the Flydubai cockpit attack.
Flight FZ1073 plunged about 14,300 feet in 30 seconds before two off-duty pilots helped take control and the aircraft landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
The aircraft transmitted emergency codes 7700 and 7500 during the confrontation, although an Israeli official said there was no hijacking.
Flydubai Cockpit Attack: India Mulls Safety Advisory For Airlines After Smit Machchhar Stabbing
India is considering an aviation security advisory for airlines after Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar was injured during an alleged cockpit attack that triggered emergency signals and a rapid descent
Summary
Indian civil aviation authorities will hold "internal deliberations" and decide whether there is a need to issue an aviation security-related advisory in the wake of the Flydubai incident, news agency PTI reported.
In a major security incident, a co-pilot of a Flydubai flight en route to Tel Aviv tried to crash the aircraft on Wednesday, but it was thwarted.
Indian captain Smit Machchhar suffered serious injuries as he fought to tackle the co-pilot.
Govt Reviews Cockpit Security
To queries related to the Flydubai incident and whether any security-related advisory will be issued, Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha on Thursday said the issue is under examination, and there would be internal deliberations.
"... in case some advisory is to be issued, obviously we will put it up to the higher authorities for taking a decision on that," Sinha said at a briefing in the national capital.
Without providing specific details, he said the questions on the issue can be answered after the internal deliberations.
The Flydubai flight FZ1073, carrying 174 passengers, landed safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
The Aviation ministry said in a post on X, “The reforms are guided by four key principles — Simplification, Accountability, Transparency and Trust — with a focus on reducing regulatory burden, introducing time-bound processes and strengthening digital and faceless systems, while maintaining robust aviation security standards.”
Emergency Codes Raise Security Questions
Sinha said, "...It's one of the major reforms, and we have been able to successfully implement it. And we hope to, because this was one thing which was pending for a long time. The second, of course, was the cargo reforms, where we have—I would not like to go into the details because the subject matter of today's presentation and discussion is different.
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The Boeing 737 MAX 8 plunged about 14,300 feet in roughly 30 seconds before landing safely in Tabuk, after Machchhar reportedly managed to open the cockpit door and two off-duty Flydubai pilots travelling as passengers took control of the aircraft.
Later, an Israeli official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the pilots had transmitted the emergency signals after getting into a physical altercation with each other and that there was no case of hijacking. Reports suggest the emergency code was transmitted during the brawl between the pilots.
The aircraft was on the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv route when it transmitted an emergency alert quickly after takeoff. Flight-tracking data showed that the flight number FZ1073 first sent squawk code 7700, then switched to 7500. Code 7700 signals a general emergency. Code 7500 points to unlawful interference with an aircraft, including a possible hijacking.
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