Tel Aviv, Oct. 1 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the "tremendous act of heroism" by Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar during a mid-air cockpit attack aboard an Israel-bound Flydubai flight, saying the seriously injured pilot managed to unlock the cockpit door while "fighting for his life", helping prevent what could have been another 9/11-style crash.

"I think what happened is a tremendous act of heroism that prevented another 9/11 style crash of an entire airplane," Netanyahu said in an interview with CBS News, recalling the incident.

Netanyahu said the flight was heading from Dubai to Israel when one of the co-pilots attacked Machchhar.

"What we know is that this plane that was heading from Dubai to Israel, ...