UAE: Attorney General Orders Formation of Team to Investigate Fly Dubai Incident

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The Attorney General in the UAE ordered on Thursday the formation of a team to investigate the incident involving a "Fly Dubai" aircraft, and directed the gathering of information about the incident, its circumstances, and motives.

This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi praised Indian pilot Sumeet Machhar on Thursday, describing him as a hero for saving passengers after he was stabbed by his colleague in what is believed to be an attempt to bring down a "Fly Dubai" plane that took off from the UAE heading to Israel on Wednesday.

Israeli officials stated that the passengers of the flight arrived in Israel safely after travelers and the flight crew thwarted the co-pilot's attempt to bring down the aircraft. The altercation began when the co-pilot stabbed the main pilot, causing the plane to descend sharply by nearly 4267 meters in less than 30 seconds.

A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told "Reuters" that Machhar was covered in blood on the ground when he managed to press the button to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and the flight crew to overpower the co-pilot and enabling other "Fly Dubai" pilots on board to land the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Netanyahu wrote in a post on "X": "I saved the lives of 174 people, including Israelis and citizens of other nationalities." He stated earlier in a video statement released by his office, "All passengers are fine."

In a post on "X" early Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Machar, describing him as a "hero."

Modi said, "In the face of the most dangerous circumstances and despite being seriously injured, he showed tremendous courage and unwavering determination to protect the lives of others. His bravery contributed to saving hundreds of lives and preventing a major tragedy."

The Indian embassy in Riyadh stated that Machar is receiving necessary medical care at a hospital in the city of Tabuk in the northwest of the country, and that it is in contact with his family and Saudi authorities to provide all possible assistance.

The embassy reported in a post on "X" that his condition is stable.

The Hindustan Times reported that Machar, who is from Mumbai, India's financial capital, underwent surgery following the incident.

According to his profile on LinkedIn, Machar worked with the Indian airline SpiceJet for over 11 years before joining Flydubai.

The reason for the altercation between the pilots remains unclear. Flydubai stated in a statement that the underlying causes of the incident are still unknown and warned against "premature speculation." It also suspended flights to and from Israel amid the ongoing investigation.

Netanyahu described what happened as "a very serious security incident" and stated that Saudi authorities will interrogate the co-pilot of flight FZ 1073.