UAE maintains radio silence on flydubai Omani co-pilot’s identity, conspiracy angle as probe seeks answers

Indian officials, who met Smit Machchhar in the UAE after he was airlifted from Saudi Arabia, were requested not to enquire about the incident, sources said.

After the dramatic events on a flydubai flight that spawned claims of a hijacking attempt by the co-pilot, the focus has now shifted to the investigation into what transpired inside the cockpit of the plane that veered off its path and landed in Saudi Arabia, put West Asia on tenterhooks amid an ongoing war, and made global headlines.

The incident took place when the co-pilot on the flydubai plane stabbed the pilot and sent the aircraft plunging nearly 14,000 feet (4,267 m) in less than 30 seconds. (AFP)

At a time when US President Donald Trump has hinted at Iran's role and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said a probe is needed to ascertain whether Tehran was involved, the flydubai investigation will have to answer what prompted the co-pilot's actions, whether he was acting alone or as part of a larger plan, what he used in the attack, whether he was able to smuggle a sharp object on board, and whether he received any help.

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.

Deep Dive

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Co-pilot attacked pilot

According to several accounts, it was the quick thinking of Captain Machchhar—an Indian national who is undergoing treatment for the wounds he suffered in the attack—and a group of passengers that prevented what could have been a major disaster. Netanyahu praised Machchhar for thwarting what he called a 9/11-type attack, a reference to the September 11 strikes in 2001 in which terrorists hijacked airplanes and crashed them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, echoed Netanyahu; he praised the pilot and spoke with him and his family.

Saudi officials took custody of the co-pilot, who was overpowered by passengers, immediately after the plane landed in Tabuk. He was questioned by Saudi security services and handed over to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday night. It was not clear whether he attacked Captain Machchhar with a knife—which would mean security guidelines were somehow violated, as sharp objects are not allowed on board—or with the crash axe, which is standard safety equipment inside commercial aircraft cockpits.

Saudi Arabia's interior ministry said a preliminary probe into the emergency landing of the flydubai flight found that "the pilot was assaulted by his co-pilot, resulting in various injuries to both", according to Al Jazeera. The report said the initial investigation was carried out with the help of "a security team from the United Arab Emirates".

UAE probe to examine possible terrorist links

The UAE, too, has not divulged much about the incident. It said it 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".

Abu Dhabi is investigating the incident and will look into "all circumstances and motives surrounding the incident, including any possible connection to terrorist activity or intent, and whether it involved prior planning or direction", it has said. The UAE also "expressed its appreciation to the Saudi authorities for their cooperation and handling of the incident".

Pilot recovering as investigation continues

According to sources, when Indian officials met Captain Machchhar in Abu Dhabi after he was airlifted to the Emirati capital from Saudi Arabia, they were requested not to ask him any questions related to the incident. The sources, who are privy to the developments, also said Machchhar is recovering well and that his family, which lives in Dubai, is taking care of him.

The incident has raised questions about air travel in West Asia and could lead to more stringent security measures, especially at a time when Iran and the US are involved in a live conflict. According to a section of analysts, a hijacking and crash involving a plane carrying Jewish passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv could have put a strain on ties between Israel and its Abraham Accords partner, the UAE, especially after a recent, rare publicly acknowledged meeting between Netanyahu and Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.