Saudi Arabia hands over to UAE Omani co-pilot who made abortive attempt to crash Flydubai’s Tel Aviv bound plane

By  News On Air   Oct 02, 2026

Saudi Arabia has handed over to UAE, the Omani co-pilot who made an abortive attempt to crash Flydubai’s Tel Aviv bound plane. Investigators are probing the attack on Indian pilot Smit Machchhar by the Omani co-pilot in the cockpit.

The development came after Saudi authorities conducted a preliminary investigation into the incident, that forced the flight to make an emergency landing in the Saudi city of Tabuk on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said its initial investigation indicated that the co-pilot has assaulted the captain during the flight. The preliminary investigation was conducted in coordination with security teams from the UAE.

Investigations into the incident, which occurred while the plane was flying over Saudi Arabia, are still in their early stages. However, the possibility of a terror motive has heightened concerns in a region already on edge amid the ongoing war with Iran.