Flydubai Cockpit Attack: Saudi Arabia Transfers Co-Pilot to UAE as False-Flag Claims Spread
TABUK: Saudi Arabia has transferred the co-pilot accused of attacking Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar to the United Arab Emirates as Emirati authorities investigate whether the September 30 cockpit assault involved terrorist activity, prior planning or another motive. The development comes as Iran has alleged, without providing evidence, that the incident was a false flag operation involving Israel and the UAE.
Saudi Arabia Transfers Co-Pilot To UAE
Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said its preliminary investigation found that the pilot was assaulted by his co-pilot, leaving both men injured. The aircraft, Flydubai Flight FZ1073, had been travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the cockpit struggle forced an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk.
The pilots were later transferred to Abu Dhabi after their conditions improved, with a UAE security team participating in the Saudi investigation. The UAE attorney general has ordered a separate probe into whether the incident involved terrorist activity, a terrorist purpose, prior planning or direction.
The co-pilot has been described by Israeli officials as an Omani national, but Saudi and UAE authorities have not publicly confirmed his identity or nationality.
Captain Smit Machchhar Recovers After Attack
The Flydubai cockpit attack left Indian Captain Smit Machchhar seriously injured. Despite being wounded, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and other crew members to intervene while the aircraft was in a steep descent.
The aircraft carried 174 passengers, according to Reuters, and the plane descended by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before control was restored. Machchhar was subsequently taken to Abu Dhabi for medical treatment.
In a video call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2, Machchhar described how he fought to open the cockpit door because he believed the aircraft was going down. Modi praised his actions and wished him a full recovery.
Iran Makes Unverified False-Flag Claim
The Flydubai cockpit attack has also become part of a wider political dispute. Iranian media have accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of orchestrating the incident as a false flag operation.
Those allegations have not been independently established. There is currently no verified evidence showing that Israel or the UAE staged the cockpit assault.
The claims emerged as the incident generated intense discussion online, including conspiracy theories about the motive behind the attack. Fact-checkers have also warned that false information and manipulated material have circulated following the emergency.
UAE Probe To Determine Motive
The UAE investigation is now expected to examine the circumstances inside the cockpit, the suspect’s motive and whether there was any prior planning or terrorist purpose.
The Captain Smit Machchhar case has attracted international attention because the aircraft was carrying hundreds of people when the cockpit struggle began. For now, authorities have confirmed the assault and emergency landing, but the motive behind the attack remains under investigation.
The Iranian false flag allegation should therefore be treated as a claim rather than a confirmed explanation of what happened.
