A senior UAE official has described the attack aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 as a “terrorist act” while praising Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his actions during the mid-air crisis.
The advisor to the UAE president said Machchhar deserved appreciation for confronting a serious terrorist act and bravely facing a potential disaster.
“Vigilance and precaution are necessary in the face of extremism and terrorism,” the official said in a post on X as he underscored the need for heightened alertness following the incident. This is the first time since the incident took place that a UAE official has termed the alleged crash bid of the flydubai flight as a terror attack.
Machchhar was seriously injured during the September 30 incident while operating the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a cockpit confrontation, with passengers and crew intervening before the plane landed safely. The flight was carrying 174 passengers and eight crew members.
{{/usCountry}}Machchhar was seriously injured during the September 30 incident while operating the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a cockpit confrontation, with passengers and crew intervening before the plane landed safely. The flight was carrying 174 passengers and eight crew members.
{{/usCountry}}Also read: PM Modi says Smit Machchhar averted ‘9/11-style tragedy’, lauds his courage
UAE orders probe, claims ‘jurisdiction’
On Thursday, the UAE ordered a probe into the stabbing incident on flydubai flight, while stating that it would also examine any “terror” link.
UAE's ministry of foreign affairs said a team would be formed to investigate the circumstances and cause of the incident, given that the aircraft was registered in the country and bears its flag.
the ministry said that UAE was “closely following the incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai International Airport to Tel Aviv, which was diverted and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
“In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) stated that Counsellor Dr. Hamad Al Shamsi, UAE Attorney-General, had ordered the formation of a team comprising specialised members of the Public Prosecution to investigate the circumstances and causes of the incident,” it said in a post on X.
The ministry said that the UAE authorities had the “jurisdiction to investigate the incident under applicable legislation, as the aircraft is registered in the UAE and bears its flag.” “Accordingly, UAE law applies to crimes committed on board the aircraft, even when they occur outside UAE territory,” the statement added.
UAE silent on flydubai co-pilot's identity
The UAE has yet not revealed the identity of the flydubai co-pilot, who allegedly stabbed Machchhar and also attempted to crash the flight with around 180 people on board. The bid was foiled by a few passengers and couple of pilots travelling on the plane who overpowered the co-pilot and stabilised the aircraft.
Hours after Wednesday's incident on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, some Israeli officials and media outlets identified the co-pilot as an Omani national. On Thursday, Netanyahu told Fox News that the co-pilot had undergone religious Islamic radicalisation in recent months. The name of the co-pilot, who is believed to have attacked pilot Smit Machchhar in an apparent attempt to take control of the aircraft, has not been released.