UAE WIDENS FLYDUBAI COCKPIT ATTACK PROBE, DETAINS TWO MALDIVIAN PILOTS OVER SUSPECTED LINKS TO ALLEGED HIJACK PLOT

October 13, 2026

United Arab Emirates authorities have detained two Maldivian pilots employed by flydubai as part of an investigation into an alleged plot by an Omani co-pilot to hijack and crash a passenger aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

The two pilots were taken into custody on October 3, and their families were subsequently informed of their detention by the Maldivian Embassy in the UAE. Maldivian media reports indicate that the arrests form part of a wider investigation into the September 30 incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073.

The flight was carrying 174 passengers and crew members when the Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, with an axe in an attempt to seize control of the aircraft. Despite sustaining serious injuries, Machchhar resisted the attack and managed to unlock the cockpit door, enabling crew members and passengers to intervene and overpower the alleged attacker. The aircraft subsequently made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.

Investigators are examining the possible connections between the detained pilots and the accused co-pilot, Hammam al-Hammami. According to reports in Maldivian media, the two men had interacted with him at their workplace and were believed to have lived in the same building. However, UAE authorities have not publicly disclosed the specific allegations against the detained pilots or established their involvement in the alleged plot.

The arrests come amid a broader investigation into the circumstances surrounding the cockpit attack, including the suspect’s background, recruitment by the airline and possible links to other individuals or organisations. UAE authorities have said the accused was suspected of supporting extremist ideologies, while reports indicate that Omani authorities had previously barred him from obtaining a pilot’s licence.

India’s National Investigation Agency has also registered a case to investigate the wider conspiracy behind the mid-air incident under the Anti-Hijacking Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the detention of the two Maldivian pilots does not establish their guilt. Authorities have yet to publicly clarify whether they are suspected of direct involvement or are being held as part of inquiries into the accused co-pilot’s associations.