Flydubai co-pilot held as authorities investigate mid-air attack

A multinational inquiry involving Emirati, Saudi and Israeli authorities was examining accusations that, on September 30, an Omani co-pilot aboard Israel-bound flydubai flight FZ1073 stabbed the captain and caused the jet to lose altitude sharply; passengers and other pilots then took back control and landed it in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.³

Passengers and pilots intervene

The Jerusalem Post reported that the co-pilot attacked the captain as the aircraft approached Tel Aviv, leading to a steep loss of altitude. AFP separately reported that the plane descended about 17,000 feet in one minute. The precise sequence remains under investigation, but reports said the injured captain opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to confront the co-pilot.¹³

CBS News reported that passengers restrained the co-pilot after the captain unlocked the door, while off-duty pilots then brought the aircraft down in Saudi Arabia. The Jerusalem Post said the emergency landing was made in Tabuk after an alert was issued. These accounts have not yet been set out in a publicly released official investigation report.²³

AFP reported that the Indian captain, who has 17 years of aviation experience including 11 years in command, was injured and taken to hospital. He described continuing to struggle while opening the cockpit to seek help. The mostly Israeli passengers were later returned to Israel on another aircraft, according to AFP.¹

Investigation moves to the UAE

The co-pilot was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE for further questioning, according to reports published on October 2. The Jerusalem Post said the UAE attorney-general directed prosecutors to examine whether the incident involved terrorism, prior planning or instructions from another party. The same report said Israel was preparing to send an investigative team to the UAE.³⁴

The co-pilot has not been publicly identified. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu identified him as Omani, and an Omani official told CBS News that he was born in Oman and currently held Omani citizenship. The Omani government had not publicly confirmed his nationality, CBS reported. Sources cited by The Jerusalem Post said he held no second nationality.¹²³

According to The Jerusalem Post, an Israeli official who was not identified said the preliminary view was that the co-pilot acted alone, while stressing that the matter was still under investigation. Netanyahu said the co-pilot had received Islamist radical indoctrination, but also said it was too early to determine whether Iran was involved and that the motive was still unknown. He characterised the incident as appearing more like an attempt at suicide than a hijacking.¹²³

Trump raises possible Iran connection

US President Donald Trump suggested that the co-pilot might have been connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, either because he had been placed on the aircraft or had been radicalised through another route. No evidence establishing such a link was presented in the reports. Trump said the matter was still being investigated and warned that the United States would retaliate if Iran was found responsible.¹²³⁴

Israel’s ambassador to the UAE, Yossi Shelley, said both countries wanted to establish whether the co-pilot acted alone or had been sent by someone else. He said the incident had not caused a crisis in relations and expressed confidence in the Emirati investigation.³

Air services affected

AFP reported that flydubai suspended services to and from Israel after the incident. El Al said Emirati authorities had not authorised planned replacement flights to land, forcing their cancellation. The Jerusalem Post subsequently reported that Israeli airline operations to the UAE had resumed and that Israeli carriers were expected to continue flying there.¹³