The co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 attempted to carry out a "terrorist" attack during the flight, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said on Saturday, according to the state news agency WAM. The statement marks the sharpest official characterization yet of the mid-air confrontation that ended with the aircraft making an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia earlier this week.
Prosecutors said the co-pilot attacked the aircraft's captain with a crash axe during the flight, setting off the crisis that forced the jet off its scheduled route. The pilot, identified as Smit Machchhar, managed to overpower the co-pilot and land the aircraft safely, an act that has drawn praise from leaders in India and the UAE for saving all 174 lives on board.
Dubai leadership praises pilot
Dubai's Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the UAE's deputy prime minister, visited Machchhar in hospital on Saturday and praised the pilot's "courage and responsibility", saying he had "embodied high degrees of courage". The Crown Prince conveyed the UAE leadership's "appreciation" for the Indian pilot's actions, the Hindustan Times reported.
New phase in the case
The prosecutor general's statement converts the incident from an aviation emergency into a terrorism case, a significant escalation with major implications for the investigation. FlyDubai earlier suspended all its flights to Israel while the probe continued.
The allegation is being treated as a criminal case under UAE law, with the airline and investigators yet to publish a full account of what happened on board. As of Saturday, prosecutors had not released details of charges against the co-pilot.
Sources: The Hindu: Top news of the day, October 3, 2026 | Hindustan Times: HT Evening Brief October 3
Prosecutors said the co-pilot attacked the aircraft's captain with a crash axe during the flight, setting off the crisis that forced the jet off its scheduled route. The pilot, identified as Smit Machchhar, managed to overpower the co-pilot and land the aircraft safely, an act that has drawn praise from leaders in India and the UAE for saving all 174 lives on board.
Dubai leadership praises pilot
Dubai's Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the UAE's deputy prime minister, visited Machchhar in hospital on Saturday and praised the pilot's "courage and responsibility", saying he had "embodied high degrees of courage". The Crown Prince conveyed the UAE leadership's "appreciation" for the Indian pilot's actions, the Hindustan Times reported.
New phase in the case
The prosecutor general's statement converts the incident from an aviation emergency into a terrorism case, a significant escalation with major implications for the investigation. FlyDubai earlier suspended all its flights to Israel while the probe continued.
The allegation is being treated as a criminal case under UAE law, with the airline and investigators yet to publish a full account of what happened on board. As of Saturday, prosecutors had not released details of charges against the co-pilot.
Sources: The Hindu: Top news of the day, October 3, 2026 | Hindustan Times: HT Evening Brief October 3
