The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to investigate the alleged attempt to hijack or crash a flydubai passenger aircraft after its Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30.
The federal anti-terror agency has invoked provisions of the Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to investigate what officials described as a possible “larger conspiracy”. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directed the NIA to take up the case, citing the gravity of the incident and its national and international ramifications.
According to the first information report (FIR) registered on Friday, the alleged attack involved offences against an Indian national. The agency is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and whether anyone else was involved.
What happened aboard flydubai flight FZ1073?
According to the FIR, flight FZ1073 departed Dubai at 7.05 am Gulf Standard Time on September 30, carrying 174 passengers and six crew members. The aircraft was flying near the Jordan-Saudi Arabia border when it reportedly made a rapid dive and turned back into Saudi airspace at around 9.21 am.
The FIR identifies the Omani first officer, Hamam al-Hammami, as the alleged attacker. It states that he stabbed Machchhar during the flight in an apparent attempt to hijack the aircraft or cause it to crash.
Machchhar sustained deep cuts to his head and hands. Passengers and crew members intervened and restrained the co-pilot, preventing the situation from escalating further.
Other flydubai pilots who were on board subsequently took control of the aircraft and landed it safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, north-western Saudi Arabia, at around 10.45 am Gulf Standard Time. Saudi authorities arrested the first officer after the aircraft landed.
The incident raised serious concerns about the safety of passengers and the circumstances surrounding the alleged attack inside the cockpit.
UAE investigation points to alleged plot targeting Israeli airport
Separately, the United Arab Emirates has disclosed further details about the alleged motive behind the incident. UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot had allegedly planned to seize control of the aircraft and crash it into the passenger terminal at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv in a suicide attack inspired by the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
According to the UAE investigation, the suspect had allegedly taken two earlier flights to Tel Aviv to familiarise himself with the route and airport before the September 30 incident.
The UAE authorities have also said the suspect confessed to acting alone. However, investigators are continuing to examine whether he had accomplices or links to other individuals or organisations.
These findings form part of the separate UAE investigation and are not conclusions established by the NIA probe.
NIA to investigate possible wider conspiracy
The NIA's case has been registered under Section 3 of the Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016, and relevant provisions of the UAPA, including Section 16 read with Section 15(1)(a).
The central government said the alleged attack on an Indian national, coupled with the apparent attempt to hijack or crash the aircraft, constituted a serious offence requiring investigation under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008.
The government order cited the gravity of the incident and its potential national and international consequences as reasons for handing the case to the NIA. The agency will investigate the attack and seek to establish whether it was part of a broader conspiracy.
Officials said Indian investigators would seek case-related information and investigative assistance from authorities in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Israel, as well as from flydubai.
The investigation is expected to examine the events inside the cockpit, the alleged motive behind the attack and any possible links beyond the individuals directly involved.
Indian pilot hailed for averting potential disaster
Machchhar's actions during the incident have drawn praise from political leaders in India and Israel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the Indian captain for helping avert what they described as a potential “9/11-type tragedy”.
Israel has also announced that Machchhar will receive the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism in recognition of his actions.
The NIA's investigation will now focus on establishing the circumstances of the alleged attack and determining whether any wider conspiracy was involved in the attempt to take control of the flight.