Flydubai Co-Pilot Under Probe After Mid-Air Attack on Captain Smit Machchhar

NEW DELHI: Fresh details have emerged about the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking Indian Captain Smit Machchhar aboard a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, even as investigators continue to establish what triggered the violent cockpit confrontation.

A fellow Flydubai pilot has described the co-pilot as displaying what he considered unusually extreme religious behaviour.

Speaking to Israeli broadcaster Channel 14, the colleague alleged that the man prayed repeatedly during the day and avoided shaking hands with women.

The allegations have not independently established the co-pilot’s motive or confirmed that his religious practices were connected to the attack.

The co-pilot, who reportedly joined Flydubai about eight months before the incident, was identified by Israeli sources as an Omani national.

He was detained after the aircraft made an emergency landing at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and has since been transferred to the United Arab Emirates as the investigation proceeds. Israeli officials are expected to question him as part of the probe.

Terror motive remains under investigation.

The incident has produced differing descriptions from authorities and officials.

Israeli leaders have characterised the episode as a terrorist attack, while the UAE initially ordered an investigation to determine whether terrorism or another motive was involved.

Flydubai has also avoided concluding why the cockpit confrontation occurred.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has alleged that the co-pilot underwent what he described as Islamist radical indoctrination.

He has also raised questions about whether investigators could establish any possible connection to Iran.

Those claims remain part of the investigation. Reuters reported that there was no concrete evidence at the time linking Iran to the incident.

The UAE-led inquiry is expected to examine the co-pilot’s background, the sequence of events inside the cockpit, and whether the attack was planned or motivated by terrorism. The authorities have yet to release a final finding on the motive.

Captain Machchhar’s actions helped open a way into the cockpit

While investigators focus on the accused co-pilot, the actions of Captain Machchhar have emerged as a central part of the account of how the aircraft was saved.

The Flydubai flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when the cockpit confrontation occurred. According to accounts reported by officials and passengers, the aircraft plunged roughly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds after the captain was attacked.

Machchhar suffered serious stab wounds but managed to open the cockpit door. That allowed passengers and other crew members to reach the flight deck and restrain the attacker.

Two reserve Flydubai pilots who were travelling as passengers subsequently took control of the aircraft. The plane was diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely. All 174 people aboard survived.

Modi and Netanyahu praise Indian pilot

The dramatic role played by Machchhar has drawn recognition from both India and Israel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the injured pilot by video call and praised his composure and determination during the emergency.

Modi said Machchhar’s actions had helped protect the lives of those aboard the aircraft and prevent a major tragedy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised the Indian captain, saying his decision to make the cockpit accessible allowed passengers and crew to overpower the attacker and prevent a potentially catastrophic outcome.

Machchhar later told Modi about the ordeal from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi.

He said he had relied on prayer during the crisis and described the conversation with the Prime Minister as a deeply emotional moment.

Flight operation suspended on Israel route.

The incident has also had immediate consequences for Flydubai’s operations.

The airline suspended its flights to Israel while the circumstances surrounding the incident were being examined.

The decision came as aviation and security authorities assessed what had happened aboard FZ1073 and whether additional safeguards were required.

The episode has also raised questions about crew screening and security procedures, particularly because the alleged attacker was a member of the flight crew rather than an intruder who had breached the cockpit from the cabin.

Investigation now moves to the co-pilot’s background

The transfer of the accused co-pilot to the UAE is expected to provide investigators with an opportunity to question him directly about the incident and his actions.

Israeli officials are expected to participate in the UAE-led investigation, according to a source cited by Reuters.

The inquiry is expected to examine the co-pilot’s personal background, possible ideological influences, the circumstances leading up to the confrontation,n and whether anyone else was involved.

For now, several crucial questions remain unanswered: what prompted the attack, whether the alleged attempt to bring down the aircraft was deliberate, and whether the incident had any wider organisational or ideological links.

Those questions will have to be settled by investigators rather than by preliminary descriptions or political statements.

What is already established is that a potentially disastrous cockpit emergency was followed by a rapid response from Captain Machchhar, passengers, cabin crew and other pilots aboard the aircraft.

Their intervention enabled the plane to reach Saudi Arabia safely, while the investigation now turns to determining precisely why the confrontation began.

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