Tel Aviv: The FlyDubai co-pilot who officials say nearly crashed a Tel Aviv-bound flight carrying 182 passengers had been barred from flying by his native Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views, a person familiar with the matter confirmed on Saturday.
The co-pilot was subsequently hired by the UAE-based airline. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. It remains unclear how thoroughly he was vetted when hired. Oman’s decision to ground him was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The incident has left the region’s travel industry in crisis, raising serious questions about aviation security screening processes. The attack has further unsettled West Asia, already shaken by the ongoing U.S.-Iran war. A regional investigation is underway, with Israeli investigators involved, though the UAE is leading the probe.
The UAE has canceled all flights to Israel. Repatriation flights began on Friday, October 2, 2026, to bring back passengers stranded in the UAE. The first repatriation flight landed in Tel Aviv just after 1 a.m., according to the Ben Gurion International Airport website.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that early information suggests links between the attack and Tehran, warning that if Iranian agents are found responsible, the United States will respond forcefully. However, an official close to the investigation said there is currently no evidence of an Iranian link, and investigators are still determining whether the co-pilot acted alone or as part of a group.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message on Friday: “We are now investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price.”
UAE senior diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash described the attack as a “dangerous terrorist act” and credited the flight captain for preventing a catastrophe.
Captain Smit Machchhar, now recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital, spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised video call Friday. His head bandaged, Machchhar described the horror inside the locked cockpit. “I had so many wounds. I had fallen down,” he said, breaking into sobs. “I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realized that if I didn’t get up, then passengers would lose their lives.”
Passengers reported hearing sounds of a fight inside the cockpit more than two hours into the flight before the aircraft suddenly dropped to 16,600 feet. It then briefly climbed to 21,725 feet before descending to 15,000 feet, where it remained until landing safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia on September 30, 2026.
