World
NIA opens hijacking probe into Flydubai cockpit attack
The case tests India’s reach over alleged crimes on international flights.
The case tests India’s reach over alleged crimes on international flights.
Passengers helped stop a cockpit attack that could have turned a Dubai to Tel Aviv flight into a hijacking or crash. On September 30, the Omani allegedly stabbed Indian captain Smit Machchhar. The plane then dropped sharply and changed course over Saudi Arabia. The injured captain and others kept control. Passengers and crew restrained the before the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
India’s is treating the incident as a possible national security case under and . India can act because an Indian pilot was allegedly attacked and the suspected crimes involved international air travel. The inquiry will examine whether the acted alone, what he intended, and whether the attack legally amounted to or terrorism. The findings could affect criminal charges and airline security rules.
The investigation is expected to examine the first officer’s motive, whether he acted alone, and whether the conduct legally amounted to terrorism or attempted hijacking. Investigators will also need to assess cockpit access, flight-control actions, communications, witness accounts, and coordination with authorities in the countries connected to the flight.
The NIA registered an over the September 30 incident under Section 3 of the , and relevant provisions of the . The treated the statutes as under the NIA Act, providing the agency a basis to investigate despite the flight’s international route.
India’s Central Government directed the to examine whether the attack involved a larger conspiracy. The reported assault on an Indian national, together with the possibility of an attempted hijacking or deliberate crash, brought the incident within India’s federal .
The aircraft rapidly lost altitude during the cockpit struggle, briefly crossed into , then returned to Saudi airspace before landing in .
The captain reportedly fought to keep control of the cockpit while passengers and crew intervened and restrained the first officer. The response prevented the attacker from maintaining control of the aircraft, but investigators still must determine whether the incident was an assault, an attempted hijacking, or part of a wider plot.
During Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Omani first officer Hamam al-Hammami allegedly attacked and stabbed Indian captain Smit Machchhar inside the . The NIA later recorded that the assault appeared to be an attempt to the aircraft or cause it to crash, though that characterization remains an allegation under investigation.