After the mid-air scare aboard the flydubai flight from the UAE to Israel on Wednesday, Indian civil aviation authorities said the security will be tightened at Indian airports.
Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the Centre is looking into the flydubai stabbing incident and evaluation the situation from a security perspective.
"India is examining the matter. The security perspective is being looked into," Sinha said. "If any advisory is needed, the higher authority will be apprised about it."
He added that the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) will introduce full-body scanners at eight Indian airports, according to multiple media reports.
Currently, majors airports like Kochi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi have full-body scanners with advanced imaging technology. BCAS had earlier directed Srinagar, Jammu and Ayodhya airports to install these scanners on a priority basis.
Earlier in the day, Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohun Naidu on Thursday lauded Indian Captain Smit Machchhar for his courage and role in helping avert a deadly plane crash. At least 174 passengers were aboard the flight, which made an emergency landing in Saudi's Tabuk airport.
Machchhar, who was attacked by the Omani co-pilot, ensured that the cockpit door was unlocked before he collapsed. This help cabin crew and passengers to enter the cockpit and subdue the attacker. Additional pilot on board the flight eventually managed to stabilise the flight and land it safely.
"We are very proud of the bravery of Captain Smit. It is a very unfortunate incident in terms of what was planned, but Smit has done a great job in trying to avert it. We feel proud because he is an Indian, but the act that he has put forward, everyone across the world is proud of him," the minister said.
Machchhar, who was formerly employed with SpiceJet, has over 13 years of experience in flying Boeing jets and more than 1,750 flying hours.
Praising the Indian pilot and former employee, SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh told ANI, "I was incredibly pround to know of this, but this is the job of a pilot. His job is to protect the lives that have been entrusted to him. And in this case, 180 lives were entrusted to Captain Smit Machchar, and he did a tremendous job saving those lives."
