UAE police have arrested two Maldivian pilots employed by flydubai in connection with an alleged attempt by an Omani co-pilot to hijack and crash a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, media reports said. The arrests took place on October 3 as authorities widened their investigation into the September 30 incident in which Indian Captain Smit Machchhar was injured while foiling the suspected plot.
The families of the two pilots have been formally informed of their detention by the Maldivian Embassy in the United Arab Emirates, according to Maldivian news portal Adhadhu. Maldivian authorities have declined to comment on the detention. No official details have been released by UAE authorities on the allegations against the two nationals or the status of the probe into their possible involvement.
The arrests form part of a broader inquiry into the incident involving flydubai co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national accused of attacking Machchhar with an axe in an alleged attempt to take control of the aircraft and carry out a terrorist attack. According to Male-based Mihaaru newspaper, the two pilots are believed to have interacted with al-Hammami at their workplace and lived in the same building as him. Authorities have not officially revealed the nature of any alleged links or disclosed evidence against them. The two are among six Maldivian nationals working as pilots for flydubai and are reportedly the airline’s most recent recruits from the Maldives, news portal edition.mv reported.
Flight FZ1073, carrying 174 passengers and crew members, was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the alleged attack occurred. The co-pilot allegedly stabbed Machchhar in an attempt to hijack and crash the plane. Though seriously injured, the captain resisted and unlocked the cockpit door, allowing crew members and passengers to overpower the co-pilot and help stabilise the aircraft. The plane made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. The UAE has described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack and identified the accused as 29-year-old al-Hammami. Authorities said he was suspected of supporting extremist ideologies and that Omani authorities had previously barred him from obtaining a pilot’s licence. An investigation continues into how he was recruited by flydubai and the motive behind the alleged plot. The UAE Attorney General has said a comprehensive investigation is being conducted in coordination with regional security agencies.
India’s National Investigation Agency last week registered a case under the Anti-Hijacking Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to probe any larger conspiracy. The Ministry of External Affairs earlier said Machchhar was responding well to treatment after an operation at a hospital in Abu Dhabi. The Indian Embassy in the UAE remains in regular contact with his family, doctors, hospital officials and local authorities.
