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Omani Co-Pilot in Flydubai Incident Had No Dual Citizenship, Sources Confirm
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Firstpost•02-10-2026, 17:55
Omani Co-Pilot in Flydubai Incident Had No Dual Citizenship, Sources Confirm
- •Sources confirm the Omani co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack and crash a flydubai flight did not hold dual nationality, addressing earlier speculation.
- •The incident involved Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, where the co-pilot allegedly stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar, leading to an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- •Captain Machchhar fought back, squawked hijack codes, and allowed passengers to subdue the suspect, with additional pilots helping to land the aircraft safely.
- •The bilateral aviation agreement between Israel and the UAE does not require pilots on flights between the two countries to be nationals of states with diplomatic ties to Israel.
- •Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated investigations suggest the co-pilot underwent "Islamist radical indoctrination" and likely intended to down the plane.
Key Questions Answered
No, a Jerusalem Post report citing sources stated that the Omani co-pilot did not have another citizenship.
The Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed Indian Captain Smit Machchhar in the cockpit. Captain Machchhar fought back, squawked two hijack codes, and opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and additional traveling pilots to subdue the suspect and safely land the aircraft in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev called for flights to be halted and for the Shin Bet to investigate because Oman does not have diplomatic ties with Israel. Ministry sources deemed it a clear breach of the agreement, though bilateral aviation rules do not require pilots to be from states with diplomatic ties to Israel.
