UAE Opens Terror Investigation Into Foiled Flydubai Hijacking Attempt

On Wednesday morning, a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv descended into chaos when the copilot stabbed the captain in the cockpit and pushed the aircraft into a steep dive. Passengers, mostly Israeli nationals, rushed forward to stop him. By the time the plane landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, the attack had been contained—but the questions it raised would ripple across three countries and into the highest levels of government.

The United Arab Emirates' chief prosecutor announced on Thursday that it had opened a formal investigation into the incident, framing it as a potential act of terrorism. The state news agency reported that investigators would examine whether the attack was linked to "terrorist activity or intent," whether it had been planned in advance with accomplices, or whether a single person had acted alone. The UAE claimed jurisdiction because the aircraft is registered there and flies under its flag—a legal principle that extends Emirati law to crimes committed aboard the plane even when it is over foreign airspace. During the early-morning emergency, the plane had been flying over northern Saudi Arabia, briefly crossing into Jordanian territory before turning back toward the Saudi border.

The copilot, an Omani national whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, was transferred to the UAE on Thursday morning after receiving medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. The captain, Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot, was severely wounded during the attack but remained in stable condition at a Saudi hospital. He had fought off his attacker despite his injuries and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and help subdue the copilot. Beyond the captain's serious wounds, those who intervened sustained only minor cuts and bruises. The vast majority of passengers were unharmed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a television interview on Fox News to lay out what Israeli officials believed they knew about the suspect's state of mind. Netanyahu said the copilot had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination," though he acknowledged that this assessment was based on preliminary information from the man's personal records and did not yet constitute a final conclusion. He also noted that accounts from those aboard the aircraft suggested the copilot had wanted to die—that even after being subdued, he had asked crew members to kill him. Netanyahu stopped short of speculating about Iranian involvement in the attack, saying it was too early to draw such conclusions.

Netanyahu raised a separate concern about aviation security protocols. He said Israel was investigating what he called a "loophole" that had allowed an Omani pilot to be in the cockpit of a flight to Tel Aviv in the first place. Israeli policy restricts pilots from countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, and Oman falls into that category. "Obviously, he was able to go through that," Netanyahu said, adding that Israel was examining the matter "with the full cooperation of the Emirati government."

The four passengers who helped overpower the attacker were nominated by Israeli President Isaac Herzog for the Presidential Medal for Civil Courage, Israel's highest civilian award for heroism. Herzog met with them when they arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on a replacement flight late Wednesday. The four men—Yaniv Hayoun, Shota Musayev, Zvika Manes, and Asaf Rajuan—were recognized for putting themselves in danger to protect others. Musayev, a dentist, had provided first aid to the severely wounded captain. When Herzog praised their actions, Musayev responded by emphasizing that the entire group had acted as one. "We supported one another on the plane and also when we arrived in Saudi Arabia, and we took care of each other as we should," he said.

The captain's actions drew praise from multiple governments. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a statement highlighting Machchhar's courage in the face of grave danger. "In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others," Modi said. "His valor helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy." Netanyahu, too, had called attention to the captain's heroism. The investigation into the attack's origins, its planning, and any possible connections to organized extremist networks was now underway in the UAE, with Israeli and Indian authorities watching closely.