'Prayed Excessively, Refused To Shake Hands With Women': Colleague On Omani Pilot Who Attempted To Hijack The Plane

The co-pilot accused of attacking Captain Smit Machchhar and attempting to crash flydubai flight FZ1073 is in custody and being interrogated, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.

The suspect has not been officially identified, his motive remains unconfirmed and he has yet to be charged.

The Dubai–Tel Aviv flight descended nearly 18,000 feet during a struggle in the cockpit that left Machchhar, an Indian national, with stab injuries. Israeli officials said passengers and crew restrained the alleged attacker, allowing two other flydubai pilots travelling on board to land the aircraft safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Accused Is 'Religious Extremist'

In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu claimed that the co-pilot had undergone Islamist radical indoctrination.

Separately, a fellow flydubai pilot described the accused as a religious extremist while speaking to Israel’s Channel 16 news. He said his colleague had joined the airline eight months earlier.

"He prayed excessively throughout the day and refused to shake hands with women," the pilot said.

Investigators are awaiting data from the aircraft’s black boxes and gathering passenger videos to reconstruct the events leading up to the cockpit confrontation.

Reported Nationality Raises Questions

The suspect’s reported Omani nationality has also drawn scrutiny over his eligibility to operate a flight to Israel.

Under the Israeli rules described in the reports, airlines serving the country may use only pilots from nations that have formal relations with Israel. Oman and Israel do not have formal diplomatic ties, and Omani nationals require visas to enter Israel.

Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev has asked the country’s Civil Aviation Authority to examine whether the United Arab Emirates breached its aviation agreement by permitting the co-pilot to operate the flight, The Times of Israel reported.

"This is a clear breach of the agreement," a Transportation Ministry source told The Jerusalem Post.

However, sources familiar with the matter told Channel 12 that the pilot held dual citizenship. They suggested this could explain why he was permitted to fly to Israel despite the restrictions.

Passengers Intervened After Cockpit Door Opened

The aircraft was cruising at approximately 34,000 feet before losing nearly 18,000 feet within minutes as the pilots struggled in the cockpit.

Two distress warnings were issued, including the transponder code 7500, which indicates a hijacking.

According to Netanyahu’s office, Machchhar was covered in blood but used "the last moments of his energy" to activate the cockpit door release. Opening the door allowed passengers and crew to enter and overpower the co-pilot.

Two additional flydubai pilots, who were travelling on the aircraft and were not rostered to operate the flight, then took control and landed it in Tabuk.

Israeli media reported that both Machchhar and the alleged attacker were subsequently hospitalised.