UAE Launches Flydubai Hijacking and Terrorism Investigation

UAE Opens Inquiry Into Suspected Flydubai Hijacking Plot

Tempatdonasi.com – The United Arab Emirates has begun an investigation into an alleged attempt to seize control of a Flydubai aircraft travelling to Israel, an episode that forced the plane to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after violence erupted in the cockpit.

The UAE chief prosecutor’s office ordered the inquiry on Thursday, one day after the early-morning incident involving a flight headed for Tel Aviv. Authorities will examine whether the episode involved terrorism, whether it had been prepared in advance and whether anyone besides the suspected attacker played a role.

The investigation is already under way, with officials seeking to assess “the degree to which [the incident] was linked to any terrorist activity or intent.” A central question will be whether the alleged assault was coordinated or carried out by one individual acting alone.

Why UAE Authorities Are Handling the Case

Although the emergency unfolded while the aircraft was flying over northern Saudi Arabia, UAE judicial authorities have jurisdiction because the Flydubai plane is registered in the Emirates and operates under its flag. UAE law applies to criminal acts aboard its aircraft even when they take place outside Emirati territory.

Flight-tracking information indicated that the airliner spent most of the incident over northern Saudi Arabia. It may have briefly entered Jordanian airspace before reversing course and diverting to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said the captain and co-pilot departed for Abu Dhabi on Thursday morning after their condition improved and medical staff cleared them for travel. Emirati security personnel accompanied the pair.

Passengers Intervened After Cockpit Attack

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the episode as an attempted jihadist terrorist attack that was stopped before the aircraft could be destroyed. Accounts from passengers said the co-pilot stabbed the captain and then sent the plane into a sharp descent, apparently attempting to bring down the aircraft.

Several passengers rushed forward to help restrain the suspect and assist the injured pilot. Those who entered the cockpit suffered minor cuts and bruises, but the passengers on board, most of them Israeli, were otherwise not injured.

The co-pilot, identified publicly only as an Omani national, has not had his name released. His motives remain under investigation. The condition of the Indian captain was serious enough to require first aid during the emergency, with one passenger, dentist Shota Musayev, helping provide assistance.

Netanyahu Cites Possible Radicalisation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said investigators were examining indications that the suspect had been exposed to Islamist radical indoctrination. Speaking on Fox and Friends on Thursday, he stressed that the available information was still preliminary.

“We know that he underwent Islamist radical indoctrination,”

Netanyahu said the assessment appeared to stem from information connected to the suspect, while offering no further detail. He also said witness accounts suggested the co-pilot may have intended to die during the incident. Even after passengers subdued him, Netanyahu said, the man was allegedly asking crew members to kill him.

“I don’t want to make final conclusions yet,”

Netanyahu said, while adding that the early signs seemed to point in a particular direction.

The Israeli prime minister also raised questions about how an Omani pilot came to be assigned to a flight bound for Israel. Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, and Netanyahu said Israel was reviewing a possible gap in the relevant screening or employment rules with the Emirati government’s full cooperation.

“He was an Omani national and we have constraints that say you can’t have pilots from countries that don’t have diplomatic relations with Israel. So obviously, he was able to go through that,”

When asked whether Iran might have been involved, given the wider Gulf conflict, Netanyahu said it was too soon to draw that conclusion. The UAE investigation may help clarify whether the alleged attack had links beyond the individual accused of carrying it out.

Passengers Considered for Israel’s Highest Civilian Honour

Israeli President Isaac Herzog intends to nominate four passengers who helped stop the suspected attacker for the Presidential Medal for Civil Courage, the country’s highest civilian distinction for heroism.

Herzog and Netanyahu spoke with the passengers after they reached Ben Gurion Airport late Wednesday aboard a replacement flight. Herzog identified the four men as Yaniv Hayoun, Shota Musayev, Zvika Manes and Asaf Rajuan.

“You put yourselves at risk to save others and prevented a terrible disaster,”

Herzog told them.

“Today, the whole world saw the beautiful and courageous face of Israeli society.”

While Herzog grants the medal, nominations are generally considered through a formal committee process. Musayev told the president that the response on board had been collective, saying passengers acted bravely and supported each other during the crisis.

The case now combines several overlapping issues: aviation security, criminal jurisdiction across national borders, the safety of flight crews and passengers, and the question of whether the alleged attack was inspired or directed by a broader network. UAE investigators are expected to focus on the suspect’s background, his access to the cockpit and any evidence that may establish planning, intent or outside involvement.