UAE: Attorney General Orders Formation of Team to Investigate "Fly Dubai" Incident

Listen to the article, the audio text is automatically generated by a machine system.

The Attorney General in the UAE ordered on Thursday the formation of a team to investigate the incident involving a "Fly Dubai" aircraft, and directed the gathering of information about the incident, its circumstances, and motives.

In detail, Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, the Attorney General of the UAE, ordered the formation of an investigation team from specialized public prosecution members to investigate the incident that occurred yesterday, Wednesday, involving Fly Dubai flight number (FZ1073), which was headed from Dubai International Airport to Tel Aviv, and resulted in the aircraft being diverted and landing safely at Tabuk Airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This comes in light of what "Fly Dubai" announced regarding a dispute that occurred in the cockpit during the flight, which necessitated the intervention of crew members on board the aircraft to secure it, according to what the official news agency "WAM" reported.

The investigation team has begun its work on the incident, in coordination with the General Civil Aviation Authority and the relevant authorities in the country, and the Attorney General directed the necessary measures to be taken to gather information and evidence, to ascertain the truth of the incident, its circumstances, motives, and to verify whether it is related to any terrorist activity or if there was any prior planning or direction for it.

The Attorney General confirmed that investigations are still ongoing, calling for the avoidance of speculation or the circulation of unreliable information regarding the incident before the relevant authorities complete the collection and verification of facts and not to preempt the results of the investigations, emphasizing the necessity of relying on information and data issued by official sources.

This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi praised Indian pilot Smit Machhar on Thursday, describing him as a hero for saving passengers after he was stabbed by a colleague in what is believed to be an attempt to bring down a FlyDubai flight that had departed from the UAE heading to Israel on Wednesday.

Israeli officials stated that the passengers of the flight arrived in Israel safely after travelers and the flight crew thwarted the co-pilot's attempt to bring down the plane. The altercation began when the co-pilot stabbed the main pilot, causing the plane to descend sharply by nearly 4267 meters in less than 30 seconds.

A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Reuters that Machhar was bleeding on the ground when he managed to press the button to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and the flight crew to overpower the co-pilot and enabling other FlyDubai pilots on board to land the aircraft in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Netanyahu wrote in a post on X: "He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israelis and citizens of other nationalities." He stated earlier in a video message released by his office, "All passengers are fine."

In a post on "X" early Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Machhar, describing him as a "hero."

Modi said, "In the face of the most dangerous circumstances and despite suffering serious injuries, he showed tremendous courage and unwavering determination to protect the lives of others. His bravery contributed to saving hundreds of lives and preventing a major tragedy."

The Indian embassy in Riyadh stated that Machhar is receiving necessary medical care at a hospital in Tabuk, northwest of the country, and that it is in contact with his family and Saudi authorities to provide all possible assistance.

The embassy reported in a post on "X" that his condition is stable.

The Hindustan Times reported that Machhar, who is from Mumbai, India's financial capital, underwent surgery following the incident.

According to his profile on LinkedIn, Machar worked with the Indian airline "SpiceJet" for more than 11 years before joining "Fly Dubai."

The reason for the altercation between the pilots is unclear. "Fly Dubai" stated in a statement that the underlying reasons for the incident remain unknown, and warned against "premature speculation." It also suspended flights to and from Israel amid the ongoing investigation.

Netanyahu described what happened as "a highly serious security incident," and stated that Saudi authorities will interrogate the co-pilot of flight FZ 1073.