Dubai: The United Arab Emirates has opened a criminal investigation into the attempted flydubai hijacking aboard flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, seeking to establish whether the co-pilot who stabbed the captain and tried to crash the aircraft acted alone, had planned the attack in advance, or was linked to terrorist activity. The Boeing 737 MAX 8, carrying more than 170 people — most of them Israeli nationals — plunged thousands of feet on Wednesday before passengers and off-duty crew members subdued the attacker, and the jet made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Key Facts
- Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 (registration A6-FKF), was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.
- The co-pilot allegedly stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, and put the jet into a steep dive; the aircraft dropped nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds, according to flight-tracking data.
- The crew transmitted squawk code 7700 (general emergency) and briefly 7500 (unlawful interference).
- The wounded captain unlocked the cockpit door; passengers rushed in and restrained the attacker, while off-duty reserve pilots on board landed the aircraft at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, at 9:45 a.m. local time.
- More than 170 people were on board; both pilots were hospitalized, and most passengers were unharmed.
- UAE Attorney General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi has formed a team of specialized public prosecutors; the UAE claims jurisdiction because the aircraft is UAE-registered and flies under the UAE flag.
- Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz called the incident an “attempted jihadist terror attack”; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will follow and possibly participate in the investigation.
The Flydubai Hijacking Attempt on Flight FZ1073
The crisis began roughly two and a half hours after takeoff, while the aircraft was cruising at about 34,000 feet over northern Saudi Arabia. According to Israeli officials, the first officer — identified to Reuters by an Israeli official as an Omani national, a detail not yet officially confirmed — attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with a knife inside the cockpit and then forced the aircraft into a rapid descent that passengers described as a terrifying plunge.
Flight-tracking data verified by open-source analysts showed the jet falling from around 34,000 feet to about 17,000 feet in roughly two minutes, with vertical speeds far outside normal commercial-flight parameters. At 5:31 a.m. GMT the aircraft transmitted squawk 7700, switching seven minutes later to 7500 — the code for unlawful interference — before returning to the general-emergency signal. The aircraft briefly entered Jordanian airspace before turning south toward Tabuk.
Passengers and Off-Duty Crew Averted Disaster
Despite serious stab wounds, Captain Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers — most of them Israeli nationals — to rush in and wrestle the attacker into submission. Two off-duty reserve pilots who happened to be on board then took over the controls and stabilized the aircraft.
Both pilots were taken to hospital in Tabuk; the captain underwent emergency surgery and his condition later stabilized. Most of the more than 170 passengers escaped unharmed, with only minor injuries reported among those who intervened. The episode has been widely described by Israeli officials as a narrowly averted mass-casualty event.
UAE Launches Criminal Investigation
On Thursday, the UAE state news agency WAM reported that Attorney General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi had ordered a dedicated team of specialized public prosecutors to investigate the incident. The inquiry will seek to establish the full circumstances and motives and determine “whether the incident was linked to any terrorist activity or purpose, or involved prior planning or direction”.
The UAE says it has jurisdiction over the case because the aircraft is registered in the Emirates and operates under its national flag, meaning UAE law applies to crimes committed aboard even outside the country’s territory. Al Shamsi urged the public not to circulate unverified information while the investigation is under way. The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority had already announced its own technical inquiry on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News that the suspect is being questioned by Saudi authorities and that he expects him to be transferred to the Emirates. “We’ll be following and possibly also participating in this investigation,” he said. Asked about possible Iranian involvement, Netanyahu said it was too early to say and that investigators would “get to the root of this attacker”.
International Reactions
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel’s preliminary information indicated the co-pilot aimed to crash the plane, calling him a terrorist, while Netanyahu described the episode more cautiously as “a serious security incident”. President Isaac Herzog thanked the UAE for its partnership in fighting terrorism. Israel’s Foreign Ministry told ambassadors worldwide that the attack targeted Israelis, the UAE and the Abraham Accords.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the incident and condemned any act endangering civil aviation. Flydubai described the episode as an “altercation in the cockpit”, said the motives remain unknown and subject to formal investigation, and temporarily suspended its flights to and from Israel while urging against speculation.
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Conclusion
The UAE’s criminal probe marks the first formal legal step in a case that has shaken international aviation just days before the anniversary of the October 7 attacks. The investigation’s central questions — whether the co-pilot acted alone, planned the attack, or had terrorist links — remain unanswered, and Israeli officials stress that formal classifications must await verified evidence. What is already clear is that the swift action of the wounded captain, the passengers and the off-duty crew prevented a catastrophe.
