Investigators probe terror link in alleged flydubai hijacking
Former Israeli National Security Council chief Eyal Hulata has examined the alleged in-flight attack aboard a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Israel, in which an Omani co-pilot reportedly stabbed the captain. Hulata explained that the captain opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers to restrain the suspect before the aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The FlyDubai co-pilot accused of stabbing the captain and nearly triggering a catastrophic crash had reportedly been grounded by Oman Air in 2024 after the airline discovered he had visited radical Islamic websites, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The source said the co-pilot moved to Dubai later that year. The individual also told Fox News that the suspect had spent a substantial portion of his life outside Oman, including time with his mother, who is from Syria.
According to the source, FlyDubai did not contact Oman Air to check the co-pilot’s background before hiring him.
A FlyDubai aircraft carrying Israelis who experienced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia is seen parked at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Ariel Schalit/AP)
The latest information follows a Wall Street Journal report published Friday. Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said the Omani national had previously been prohibited from flying because of concerns that he had adopted radical ideological views before FlyDubai later hired him. The Journal said it remained unclear whether Omani authorities informed other countries or airlines about those concerns.
Fox News has not independently confirmed why Oman Air grounded the co-pilot.
The alleged assault took place Wednesday aboard FlyDubai Flight 1073, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
A plane takes off as a flydubai aircraft sits on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026.
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Passengers and officials said the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain inside the cockpit, sending the aircraft into a steep dive that nearly caused it to break apart. Two reserve pilots traveling on the flight reportedly regained control and diverted the plane safely to Saudi Arabia. Passengers and crew members then helped overpower the suspect, according to accounts of the incident.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident terrorism on Friday and said the alleged attacker had undergone “Islamic radicalization.”
“He came to crash the passengers on board,” Netanyahu said, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who allegedly was attacked on a FlyDubai plane heading to Israel on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Israel Foreign Ministry)
Netanyahu said Israeli authorities are also examining whether the suspect acted alone or received help from others.
The United Arab Emirates is overseeing the investigation. A UAE spokesperson declined to discuss the suspect’s background with the Journal, saying officials did not want to prejudice the inquiry or interfere with its progress.
The incident has intensified scrutiny of airline pilot screening and aviation security on flights serving Israel. Aviation security analysts told the Journal that the episode appeared to represent a serious security lapse, raising questions about whether warning signs were missed before the co-pilot gained access to the cockpit.
FlyDubai has suspended service between Dubai and Tel Aviv following the alleged attack.
FlyDubai did not immediately respond to News Media’s request for comment.