Flydubai Co-Pilot Handed Over To UAE As Probe Into Mid-Air Stabbing Of Captain Widens

Saudi Arabian authorities have transferred the flydubai co-pilot accused of stabbing the flight captain during a mid-air assault to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The handover comes as authorities investigate the circumstances and motive behind the attack on the commercial flight, which was travelling to Israel.

According to Fox News, the aircraft lost thousands of feet in altitude after the captain was stabbed. Passengers then intervened to restrain the suspect, while other pilots aboard the aircraft took control and stabilised the flight.

All 174 people on board survived the incident. UAE authorities are investigating the attack and are also examining whether it had any connection to terrorism, Fox News reported.

Co-Pilot’s Possible Iran Link

The development came after US President Donald Trump said earlier on Thursday that preliminary information indicated a possible link between the flydubai co-pilot and Iran. The investigation into the matter is still underway, according to Fox News.

While boarding Marine One, Trump was asked by a Fox News reporter whether he had received a briefing about a possible Iranian connection to the co-pilot.

“I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes, but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said.

Asked whether Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had placed the co-pilot on the flight or whether he had been radicalised through another route, Trump said, “It could have been,” as reported by Fox News.

The comments followed remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had said it was too early to conclusively establish whether the co-pilot had links to Iran.

Israel Probes Islamist Radicalisation Angle

Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Michal Maayan also addressed questions concerning Netanyahu’s remarks about the co-pilot’s “Islamist radical indoctrination”. She said investigators were examining possible ideological motives, accomplices and prior planning, while stressing that the probe was still at an early stage.

“Earlier today, Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke about the Islamist radical indoctrination of the Omani pilot, and it’s absolutely an avenue we’re investigating. However, everything is still open and closely examined. Unfortunately, we have a history of terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets for many years, so we are really looking into everything and trying to get to the bottom of what happened. It is still in the initial stages. The Prime Minister did mention that we have learned some information from the investigation, but I don’t have more I can share with you at this stage,” Maayan noted.

Earlier, Netanyahu had said that the co-pilot accused of attacking Captain Smit Machchhar had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination.

Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu said the co-pilot was being interrogated and that Israeli investigators had joined the questioning.

“The attacker, the co-pilot who attacked the captain, is now being interrogated. What we know so far is that he underwent Islamist radical indoctrination,” the Israeli Prime Minister said.

Netanyahu also said the initial investigation indicated that the co-pilot may have been suicidal and was allegedly attempting to bring down the aircraft.

“They had to use earphone cords to tie his hands and then used plastic cuffs. He is lying on the floor and he calls out to the crew, ‘kill me, kill me’. So, it is clear that he was suicidal and was going to down the plane,” Netanyahu told Fox and Friends.

What Happened On Flydubai Flight FZ1073

Flydubai flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the incident took place. Captain Smit Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot, who allegedly stabbed him and attempted to take control of the aircraft.

Despite sustaining injuries, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene. The aircraft was subsequently diverted and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

The captain is now out of danger and remains under medical observation in Abu Dhabi.