MID-AIR COCKPIT ATTACK TRIGGERS ANTI-TERROR PROBE AS NIA INVESTIGATES ALLEGED HIJACKING PLOT ON FLYDUBAI FLIGHT
October 10, 2026
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case under India’s Anti-Hijacking Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to investigate the alleged mid-air attack on Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar aboard a Flydubai passenger aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The investigation follows allegations that the flight’s Omani first officer stabbed the captain inside the cockpit in an apparent attempt to hijack the aircraft or cause it to crash.
The case was registered on October 9 following directions from the Union Home Ministry, which cited the gravity of the incident, its national and international implications, and the need to investigate a possible larger conspiracy. The NIA formally took up the matter after the September 30 incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073.
According to the first information report, the aircraft departed Dubai at 7.05 am GMT with 174 passengers and six crew members. While flying near the Jordan-Saudi Arabia border at approximately 9.21 am GMT, the aircraft suddenly dived and turned back into Saudi airspace. The FIR states that passengers reported the first officer attacking Captain Machchhar with a knife in what appeared to be an attempt to seize control of the aircraft or bring it down.
The attack left Machchhar with deep cuts to his head and hands. Despite his serious injuries, the Indian captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to overpower and restrain the alleged attacker. Their intervention helped prevent what could potentially have become a catastrophic aviation emergency.
The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where the injured pilot received emergency medical treatment. He was later transferred to Abu Dhabi for further care, underwent surgery and began recovering from his injuries.
The NIA has invoked Section 3 of the Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016, which deals with hijacking, along with Section 16 read with Section 15(1)(a) of the UAPA, concerning terrorist acts. The application of these provisions reflects the seriousness with which the authorities are treating the alleged attack and the possibility that it involved an attempt to seize or deliberately endanger a passenger aircraft. The allegations remain subject to investigation.
The Union Home Ministry determined that the case fell within the category of scheduled offences under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, and required a central investigation. Officials indicated that investigators would examine the circumstances of the attack, the suspected motive and any wider conspiracy connected with the incident.
The episode prompted a strong response from Indian authorities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Machchhar following the incident and praised his courage and presence of mind. Indian officials and authorities in Israel also commended the captain’s actions, while UAE officials followed his medical recovery.
The incident has raised serious questions about cockpit security, crew safety and the risks posed when a member of an aircraft’s operating crew is suspected of attacking another pilot. The alleged assault occurred in one of the most security-sensitive areas of a commercial aircraft, where any attempt to seize control can threaten hundreds of lives within minutes.
The NIA’s investigation will now seek to establish the full sequence of events and determine whether the alleged attack was an isolated act or part of a broader criminal or terrorist conspiracy. For the passengers and crew aboard flight FZ1073, the actions of the injured captain and those who restrained the alleged attacker were crucial in averting a potentially disastrous outcome.
