Flydubai Co-Pilot in Cockpit Stabbing Was Barred by Native Oman
A pilot who stabbed his captain aboard a Tel Aviv flight had been barred from flying in his homeland over extremism concerns.
The co-pilot who attacked the captain of an Israel-bound Flydubai flight on Wednesday had previously been barred from flying in his native Oman over extremism concerns, officials said Saturday. The United Arab Emirates airline later hired the Omani citizen, whose midair attack sent the aircraft into a sharp dive before passengers and crew intervened.
The incident occurred aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Investigators said the co-pilot stabbed the captain, an Indian national named Smit Machchhar, inside the flight deck. The attack caused the Boeing 737 Max to plunge sharply before Machchhar managed to open the cockpit security door.
Passengers and off-duty airline crew rushed into the cockpit. They tackled the assailant, restrained him, and stabilized the aircraft. The relief crew diverted the flight to the northwestern Saudi Arabian city of Tabuk, where emergency teams met the aircraft. Machchhar survived serious injuries and was hospitalized in Abu Dhabi.
People familiar with the matter said the co-pilot had previously trained at Oman Air. Omani surveillance discovered he was visiting radical websites, prompting the national carrier to remove him from flying duties and reassign him to a desk role. He subsequently resigned from Oman Air around 2024 and relocated to Dubai, where Flydubai hired him without vetting him with Omani authorities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot underwent Islamist radical indoctrination and intended to crash the plane. Investigators have examined social media posts linked to the suspect that expressed violent intent.
The United Arab Emirates described the incident as a dangerous terrorist act and opened a formal investigation. Following the flight, Flydubai suspended its scheduled routes between Dubai and Tel Aviv.
Saudi authorities detained the suspect immediately after the emergency landing. Saudi Arabia transferred the co-pilot to the United Arab Emirates, where Emirati, Saudi and Israeli investigators are questioning him.
