The investigation follows a September 30 cockpit attack on an Indian captain aboard a Dubai–Tel Aviv flight, with authorities examining whether others were involved
United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities have reportedly arrested two Maldivian pilots employed by flydubai as part of an investigation into an alleged attempt by an Omani co-pilot to hijack a passenger aircraft and crash it into an Israeli airport.
The arrests relate to an incident on September 30 aboard flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, during which Indian captain Smit Machchhar was seriously injured in a cockpit attack.
According to reports cited by The Indian Express, the two Maldivian pilots were taken into UAE police custody on October 3. The Maldivian Embassy in the UAE has informed their families, while officials in the Maldives have not publicly commented on the reported detention.
The UAE authorities have not disclosed the identities of the detained pilots or officially clarified their suspected role in the case.
Reports in Maldivian media suggest that the two pilots knew the Omani co-pilot, identified in reports as Hammam al-Hammami. They allegedly worked with him and may have lived in the same residential building. However, these reported connections have not been established as evidence of involvement in the alleged plot.
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UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi has said the co-pilot intended to seize control of the aircraft and crash it into a passenger terminal at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport
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Prosecutors have described the alleged plan as a suicide attack inspired by the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States
The aircraft was carrying 174 passengers and crew members when the incident occurred. The co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar with an emergency axe before the crew and passengers intervened. The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
The co-pilot reportedly told investigators that he had acted alone, according to the UAE Attorney-General. Authorities are continuing their investigation to verify that account and establish whether anyone else was involved.
The case has also drawn attention in India, where the National Investigation Agency has registered a case to investigate the incident under relevant anti-hijacking and anti-terrorism laws.
The reported arrests mark a further development in the investigation, although the UAE has yet to publicly establish whether the two Maldivian pilots had any role beyond their alleged professional or personal connections with the co-pilot.
