SCHIPKAU, Germany (AP) — A wind turbine described by its developer as the world’s tallest now rises 365 meters (1,197 feet) above the sparsely populated landscape of eastern Germany, surpassing the height of the Eiffel Tower.
The colossal turbine has been built at an existing wind farm in Lusatia, southeast of Berlin. Once a major center of lignite mining, the region has increasingly turned to renewable energy in recent years. The prototype reached its full height this week and is due to be inaugurated in mid-November.
Click to Gallery
A newly constructed wind turbine, right, whose rotor tips reach a maximum height of 365 meters (1,198 feet), stands in Schipkau, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Two men work at a newly constructed wind turbine, whose rotor tips reach a maximum height of 365 meters (1,198 feet), in Schipkau, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A newly constructed wind turbine, whose rotor tips reach a maximum height of 365 meters (1,198 feet), stands in Schipkau, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A newly constructed wind turbine, whose rotor tips reach a maximum height of 365 meters (1,198 feet), stands in Schipkau, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A newly constructed wind turbine, whose rotor tips reach a maximum height of 365 meters (1,198 feet), stands in Schipkau, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Jochen Grossmann, chief executive of Gicon, the Dresden-based engineering company that built the tower, said the structure would harness the stronger, more reliable winds found at greater heights. Conventional wind turbines typically have a hub height — the distance from the ground to the center of the rotor — of well below 200 meters (656 feet).
“At 300 meters, we have such constant and strong wind that we can produce more than twice as much electrical energy as with the same facility at today's heights,” Grossmann said on Thursday. He added that it would also be possible to produce electricity for much more of the year than with existing turbines.
The turbine has a hub height of 300 meters (984 feet), and its rotor blades bring its total height to 365 meters. That makes it taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, at 330 meters (1,083 feet), and leaves it just short of Berlin's television tower, Germany 's tallest building at 368 meters (1,207 feet).
Work on the turbine is not yet complete, with internal wiring still to be installed ahead of its planned inauguration on Nov. 19. The prototype is intended to measure the potential gains from building turbines at such heights.
Gicon plans to use the findings to develop a wind farm containing three to five extra-tall turbines, paving the way for possible full-scale production.
Grossmann also sees the giant turbines as a potential solution to the shortage of suitable land for wind farms. Existing sites could be expanded into “two-story” wind farms combining shorter and taller turbines, while new sites could be designed that way from the outset.
Germany has been working for years to expand the use of wind, solar and other renewable energy sources. It switched off its last nuclear power plants in 2023 in a long-planned move, though that drew criticism after energy prices surged following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Germany also plans to stop generating electricity from coal by 2038.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, 59.1% of energy produced in Germany in the first half of 2026 came from renewable sources. Wind was the largest single source, providing 29.4% of the total.
This version of the story corrects the spelling of the company Gicon in one place.
Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
A newly constructed wind turbine, right, whose rotor tips reach a maximum height of 365 meters (1,198 feet), stands in Schipkau, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Two men work at a newly constructed wind turbine, whose rotor tips reach a maximum height of 365 meters (1,198 feet), in Schipkau, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A newly constructed wind turbine, whose rotor tips reach a maximum height of 365 meters (1,198 feet), stands in Schipkau, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A newly constructed wind turbine, whose rotor tips reach a maximum height of 365 meters (1,198 feet), stands in Schipkau, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A newly constructed wind turbine, whose rotor tips reach a maximum height of 365 meters (1,198 feet), stands in Schipkau, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
MUMBAI, India (AP) — An Indian airline captain who was at the controls of a FlyDubai flight when his copilot stabbed him in an apparent attempt to crash the plane has been hailed as a hero, with his actions to thwart the disaster drawing praise from world leaders and those who knew him.
Capt. Smit Machchhar, who is from India’s financial hub of Mumbai, was seriously injured in Wednesday's attack. Passengers described how the pilot still managed to open the cockpit door, allowing them to enter and restrain the attacker as the Boeing 737 descended sharply, according to witnesses and Israeli authorities.
The attack forced the flight carrying 174 people from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Tel Aviv, Israel, to make an emergency landing in Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia. FlyDubai said the aircraft was secured by on-duty crew “who diverted and landed the aircraft safely.”
Machchhar was taken to a hospital in stable condition, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, said late Wednesday. Embassy officials said Thursday that his family had been briefed on his recovery.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called Machchhar a hero.
“In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. His valor helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy,” Modi wrote on X.
Modi also praised the captain for demonstrating ”patience, presence of mind and courage,” saying his “actions prevented another 9/11-like attack from happening." He said he had spoken with Machchhar's parents and wife and that the pilot was undergoing treatment.
“Smit’s bravery fills every Indian with pride,” Modi said.
According to Machchhar's LinkedIn profile, he has worked for FlyDubai for about four years. Before joining the airline, he spent 11 years with SpiceJet, an Indian low-cost carrier, where he served as a senior commander and line training captain. He logged more than 9,750 flying hours with SpiceJet, according to the profile.
SpiceJet, in a post on X, praised Machchhar’s “heroic courage” and “selfless actions.” “You are a hero to us all, Captain,” the airline wrote.
Machchhar, who is married and has two children, trained as a pilot at Mainland Air in the New Zealand city of Dunedin for 18 months, beginning in 2008, the school's head Philip Kean told 1News, a New Zealand television news channel.
Kean said Machchhar "did very well” as a student and later returned to India, where he worked as a recruiter for the school.
“We’re all very proud of him here and wish him a speedy recovery,” Kean said.
The school, which opened in 1991, offers a range of certifications, from private pilots' licenses to a diploma in aviation, and is popular with international students.
A report published last year by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority found that 39 international students, all from India, were enrolled at the school at the time of its review, accounting for half of its total enrollment.
In a podcast interview last year, Machchhar recalled how nervous he was and how he made mistakes during his first commercial flight in India, and the lessons he learned from the experience.
“At that stage, relaxing would have been the best option,” he told interviewer Zalak Mehta of the “Bona-Fide Banter” podcast.
“Stressing is not going to help, at least … in this industry,” he added.
Machchhar also described an onboard emergency when a pregnant woman went into premature labor, forcing the crew to divert the plane. He said he followed procedures carefully and ensured a safe landing on the first attempt.
“It was methodical. It was quick. It was as quick as it should have been," he said.
Wednesday's attack triggered a major security response in Israel, with authorities scrambling fighter jets in case of a possible hijacking.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacker, an Omani national, was arrested in Saudi Arabia and was undergoing interrogation there. His motive for the attack was not immediately clear.
Netanyahu also praised Machchhar’s “extraordinary bravery” in a post on X, saying the wounded captain fought back after being stabbed, opened the cockpit door and helped passengers and crew overpower the attacker, preventing what Netanyahu described as a “catastrophic midair disaster.”
“He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals,” Netanyahu wrote.
Shota Musayev, a dentist and eyewitness, told The Associated Press how the wounded Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door to let them in before they grappled with the copilot.
Musayev then treated Machchhar.
“Poor pilot, he was just praying the whole time and was in contact with me, and I was afraid we would really lose him,” Musayev said.
In Ghatkopar East, the Mumbai suburb where Machchhar’s family lives, neighbors spoke of how easy-going he is and also lauded his courage.
“He has a lot of bravery in him,” said Ami Sapani, a neighbor who knows the family. “God is with him.”
Saaliq reported from New Delhi. Associated Press journalists Charlotte Graham-McLay in Wellington, New Zealand and Adam Schreck in Bangkok contributed to this report.
News media personnel film in the building where relatives of Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot for Flydubai, previously lived in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
News media personnel stand outside the building where relatives of Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot for Flydubai, previously lived in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
