Asia · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi Orders Investigation Into FlyDubai FZ1073 Incident
UAE Attorney-General orders investigation into Flydubai FZ1073 cockpit incident. Investigation to determine circumstances and motives, and whether linked to terrorism or pre-planning.
Whether the attack is already framed as terrorism.
3 of 4 outlets skipped it: flydubai suspends flights to Israel during investigation.
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Reuters
“No motive has yet been determined for an apparent attempt to crash a passenger jet”Read the original ↗
The National
“Israeli leaders have alleged the attack on the flydubai plane was 'terrorism', even as an investigation is yet to be completed.”Read the original ↗
Reuters stresses no motive is yet determined. The National foregrounds terrorism allegations even before investigations finish.
UAE probe after cockpit dispute
The United Arab Emirates Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi ordered an investigation into the FlyDubai flight FZ1073 after the aircraft was diverted and landed in Saudi Arabia following a dispute in the cockpit. The investigation is meant to establish the circumstances and motives of the incident and determine whether it was linked to "any terrorist activity or objective, or premeditated planning or direction."
The UAE said its judicial authorities have jurisdiction because the aircraft is registered in the country and flies the UAE flag, meaning UAE law applies to crimes committed on board even if they occur outside the state's territory. FlyDubai said the flight "experienced an incident while en route" and landed in Tabuk, while the flight took off from Dubai at 7:05 a.m. local time Wednesday and later signalled emergency codes including "general emergency" and then a code indicating "illegal intrusion."
Israeli leaders weigh motives
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was "too early to say" whether Iran was involved in the Dubai-Tel Aviv incident after a pilot stabbed another pilot and tried to take over the flight. Netanyahu also said the stabbed pilot, Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, was in hospital in a stable condition, and he wrote that the captain "enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker - preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster."T
Reuters reported that Israeli officials said no motive had yet been determined and that an initial assessment suggested the co-pilot who stabbed the captain acted alone. RReuters also reported that Yossi Shelley told Reuters it was too early to draw conclusions and that no motive had been determined, while Israeli officials said Mossad and Shin Bet were investigating the incident as well.R
Security fallout and next steps
The UAE investigation is framed around verifying the circumstances and motives and checking whether the incident involved prior planning or direction, with the Attorney-General urging the public to avoid speculation until competent authorities complete gathering and verifying facts. FlyDubai suspended flights to and from Israel amid the ongoing investigation, while the airline said the underlying reasons for the event remained unknown and warned against "premature speculation."
Emirates announced it would suspend code-share arrangements with FlyDubai on flights to and from Tel Aviv and said passengers whose final destination is Tel Aviv would not be allowed to board Emirates flights to Dubai to continue travel to Israel. The incident also prompted Saudi Arabia to open an investigation into the circumstances of the landing at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk after a distress call following injuries to the pilot and co-pilot.