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UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said Friday that the incident aboard a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was a “terrorist act,” as he praised the captain who was attacked during the flight.
Gargash said on X that Capt. Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was a “true hero” and deserved “every appreciation.”
He said Machchhar “embodied the true meaning of courage and responsibility” in confronting “a serious terrorist act and a potential disaster.”
Gargash also warned against oversimplifying the incident or spreading conspiracy theories, stressing the importance of vigilance against terrorism.
His comments came after a FlyDubai aircraft operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Israeli media reported that the aircraft first transmitted the general emergency code “7700” and later the “7500” code, which indicates a hijacking, while flying in Jordanian airspace.
Channel 12 reported that the incident stemmed from a fight between the two pilots, claiming that the co-pilot, an Omani national, attempted to crash the aircraft after stabbing the captain.
The report also said cabin crew members and some passengers entered the cockpit and intervened against the co-pilot.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed there were “signs that one of the pilots attempted to crash the plane.”
FlyDubai said an “altercation occurred in the flight deck” during the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, but said the cause remained unclear.
Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said Thursday that an initial investigation conducted with the participation of a UAE security team found that the co-pilot had attacked the captain.
Both pilots were injured in the incident, the ministry said.
After completing treatment, the captain and co-pilot left Saudi Arabia for Abu Dhabi accompanied by the UAE security team, according to the ministry.
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