The United Arab Emirates has launched an investigation into whether the mid-air attack aboard a flydubai flight bound for Israel was linked to terrorist activity, as authorities seek to establish the motive behind an incident that sent the aircraft into a steep descent before it was diverted to Saudi Arabia. The probe was ordered by UAE Attorney General Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi and will examine the circumstances surrounding Flight FZ1073, including whether the incident involved prior planning, terrorist intent or outside direction. The investigation comes as Israeli authorities continue to examine what happened inside the cockpit and why the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain during the flight.
The flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when an altercation broke out in the cockpit. Israeli officials said the co-pilot allegedly stabbed Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and attempted to crash the aircraft. The Boeing 737 subsequently plunged thousands of feet before passengers and crew intervened. Reuters reported that the aircraft lost nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds during the crisis. The plane was eventually diverted and landed safely at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where the injured pilots were taken for medical treatment. There were 174 people on board the flight.
Machchhar has been credited with helping prevent a potentially catastrophic outcome despite being injured during the confrontation. According to accounts of the incident, the captain managed to open the cockpit door after the attack, allowing passengers and other crew members to enter and help restrain the co-pilot. Reserve pilots subsequently assisted in regaining control of the aircraft and completing the emergency landing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later praised Machchhar and the passengers who intervened after the flight arrived back in Israel. India’s embassy in Riyadh said Machchhar was in stable condition.
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The UAE investigation is expected to focus on the attacker’s motive and whether the cockpit incident was an isolated act or part of a planned operation. The UAE Attorney General has directed a specialist team to work with the General Civil Aviation Authority and other authorities to establish the facts. Officials have also urged the public and media not to circulate unverified information as investigators assess conflicting accounts and reports that have emerged since the incident. Under UAE law, the country has jurisdiction over crimes committed aboard aircraft registered in the UAE, even when such incidents occur outside its territory.
Israeli officials have described the incident as a possible attempted terrorist attack, but the motive has not been established. Netanyahu also said in an interview with CBS News that it was too early to determine why the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and did not rule out the possibility that mental health could have played a role. Other possibilities, including a planned attack, remain part of the investigation. Authorities in Saudi Arabia, Israel and the UAE are involved in examining different aspects of the incident, while the suspect’s background and actions are being investigated to determine what led to the confrontation.
The incident has also prompted aviation and security authorities to examine how the confrontation developed and how the aircraft was brought under control after the cockpit disruption. Flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel while the investigation continues and said it remains in contact with government authorities, regulators and airport stakeholders. For now, investigators have not publicly established whether terrorism, a personal motive, a mental-health-related episode or another factor was responsible. The UAE-led inquiry is expected to examine the available evidence before drawing conclusions about the nature and intent of the attack.
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