The investigation into the mid-air attack on FlyDubai flight FZ1073 has widened, with authorities in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel examining how the co-pilot was cleared to fly the Dubai to Tel Aviv service. The co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, with a cockpit crash axe on September 30, and the plane plunged thousands of feet.

Despite serious head injuries, Machchhar forced the cockpit door open twice, allowing passengers and crew to enter and overpower the attacker. Two reserve pilots landed the Boeing 737 safely at Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The co-pilot was arrested and later transferred to UAE custody. The UAE Attorney General has described the incident as an attempted terrorist act.

Reports identify the suspect as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, who was reportedly barred from flying in Oman over radicalisation concerns. Machchhar is recovering, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to him by phone. President Droupadi Murmu and the Prime Minister praised his bravery. Investigators are focused on whether vetting or information-sharing failures played a role.