Following a mid-flight confrontation on a flydubai aircraft, roughly 100 of the 174 passengers on board are initiating a class-action lawsuit. The legal action stems from an incident on September 30, where the flight’s co-pilot allegedly attempted to hijack the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. During the event, Captain Smit Machchhar sustained injuries while intervening to stop the co-pilot, eventually allowing passengers and crew to subdue the attacker and prevent a potential crash.
Reports indicate that the passengers have established a committee to oversee the legal proceedings. This committee is led by Tzvika Manes, the CEO of the underwriting arm of Bank Leumi, who was among the individuals involved in restraining the co-pilot. Other members of the committee include Tal Eisenberg, Daniel Schlichter, Itay Perlman, and Shir Maor. The group is currently coordinating its efforts through a dedicated WhatsApp channel.
The planned lawsuit is expected to target the airline itself, as well as the transportation ministries of Israel and the United Arab Emirates. According to legal experts cited in the report, claimants are looking to utilize the Montreal Convention, an international framework that governs compensation for injuries and damages sustained during air travel. Both nations are signatories to the treaty.
While the exact figure for damages remains to be finalized, legal experts have suggested that individual compensation could reach between $200,000 and $250,000 per passenger. Should all 174 passengers pursue and receive such amounts, the total claims could reach approximately $43.5 million. The committee has indicated that it is currently in the process of securing formal legal representation and may explore additional claims against other government entities. Meanwhile, investigations into the incident, which has been described by UAE authorities as a targeted terrorist operation, remain ongoing with the involvement of the National Investigation Agency.
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