Two Maldivian pilots employed by flydubai have been arrested by UAE police as part of an investigation into an alleged attempt by an Omani co-pilot to hijack and crash a Dubai–Tel Aviv flight, according to media reports. Indian captain Smit Machchhar was injured while attempting to stop the alleged attack aboard the September 30 flight.
The two pilots were reportedly taken into custody on October 3. Their families were subsequently informed of the detentions by the Maldivian Embassy in the UAE, the Maldivian news portal Adhadhu reported.
Maldivian authorities have declined to comment, while UAE officials have not publicly disclosed the specific allegations against the two pilots or clarified their suspected roles in the case.
The arrests come as UAE authorities expand their investigation into the incident involving Hammam al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national and flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking Machchhar with an axe in an alleged attempt to seize control of the aircraft and carry out what authorities have described as a terrorist attack.
DETAINED PILOTS’ ASSOCIATIONS UNDER INVESTIGATION
According to the Male-based newspaper Mihaaru, the two Maldivian pilots are believed to have interacted with al-Hammami professionally and lived in the same building as him. However, authorities have not officially established the nature of their alleged connections to the incident or disclosed any evidence against them.
The two men are among six Maldivian nationals employed as pilots by flydubai and are reportedly the airline’s most recent recruits from the Maldives, news portal edition.mv reported.
Flight FZ1073, carrying 174 passengers and crew members, was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the alleged attack occurred. The co-pilot reportedly attacked and stabbed Machchhar in an attempt to hijack the aircraft and crash it.
Despite sustaining serious injuries, Machchhar resisted the attack and unlocked the cockpit door, enabling other crew members and passengers to enter and overpower the suspect. Their intervention helped stabilise the aircraft before it made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.
UAE authorities have described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack and said al-Hammami was suspected of supporting extremist ideologies. Officials have also stated that Omani authorities had previously barred him from obtaining a pilot’s licence.
Investigators are examining how al-Hammami was recruited by flydubai despite the reported restriction, along with the motive behind the alleged plot and whether others may have been involved.
The UAE Attorney General has said a comprehensive investigation is underway in coordination with regional security agencies to establish the circumstances of the incident and determine whether the accused had links to other individuals or groups.
INDIA PROBES WIDER CONSPIRACY
India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) last week registered a case under the Anti-Hijacking Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to investigate the wider conspiracy behind the alleged mid-air attack on Machchhar.
The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier said Machchhar was responding well to treatment following surgery at a hospital in Abu Dhabi. The Indian Embassy in the UAE was also maintaining regular contact with his family, doctors, hospital officials and local authorities.
Investigations are now continuing in both the UAE and India, with authorities examining the alleged attack, the suspect’s background and any possible wider connections. The circumstances surrounding the two Maldivian pilots’ detention remain unclear, and no official findings establishing their involvement have been publicly released.