Flydubai Flight FZ1073 hijack attempt leads to emergency landing in Tabuk
Written by AI from 7 reports listed below. Not checked by a person before publication. How we use AI
A co‑pilot attacked the captain on a Dubai‑Tel Aviv flight, passengers and crew intervened, and the aircraft landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Authorities opened investigations and detained two pilots linked to the suspect.
In‑flight Attack
The captain unlocked the cockpit door and resisted the assault. Passengers and cabin crew, including an off‑duty pilot, helped restrain the attacker.
A passenger named Yaniv Hayun grabbed the yoke and pulled back hard, helping to stabilise the plane before the return‑flight pilots landed it safely in Saudi Arabia.
Landing and Immediate Aftermath
Pilots assigned to the return service intervened alongside cabin crew and passengers, regained control and landed the aircraft at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
The captain was seriously injured but survived; the co‑pilot was restrained on board.
Legal Actions and Detentions
UAE police arrested two Maldivian pilots employed by flydubai on 3 October for alleged links to the Omani co‑pilot.
India’s National Investigation Agency registered a case under the Anti‑Hijacking Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to investigate the incident involving captain Machchhar.
Investigative Findings
The UAE Attorney‑General announced that prosecutors consider the plot premeditated and inspired by the September 11 attacks, noting that two earlier flights to Tel Aviv had been used to study the route and airport.
The co‑pilot is alleged to have become radicalised while studying in Australia from 2017, attending a mosque in Melbourne and being acquainted with members of an Islamic organisation called “My Centre”.
The suspect reportedly confessed in the presence of his lawyer and said he acted alone; investigators are reviewing recordings, technical evidence and possible accomplices.
What's still unclear
Sources give differing figures for the number of people on board: over 170 Israeli passengers (breitbart.com) and 174 passengers and crew (tribuneindia.com and indiatimes.com).