Flydubai seeks Tel Aviv return after Omani co-pilot’s midair attack on Indian captain—why Israel is saying no

3 min readUpdated: Oct 7, 2026 03:38 PM IST

Flydubai has sought permission to resume flights to Israel a week after an Omani co-pilot attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar in the cockpit of flight FZ1073 on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, but Transportation Minister Miri Regev has so far declined the request, Channel 13 reported on Wednesday.

Flydubai told Israeli authorities that its investigation into the September 30 incident was nearing completion and that several employees had been dismissed. Officials from Israel’s transportation ministry have also been invited to Dubai next week, the report added.

The Omani co-pilot, Hammam al-Hammami, attacked Smit Machchhar during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft, with 182 people on board, was subsequently diverted and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after the wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door and passengers helped subdue the attacker.

Israel’s new screening rules for foreign airline crew

According to Channel 13, the draft requirements, formulated after the attack, would require non-Israeli citizens, including pilots and crew, to complete and submit a form 48 hours before flights for government review.

Citizens of countries classified as “red” under the proposed screening rules would also be subject to checks by Mossad and Shin Bet.

Flydubai suspended operations to Tel Aviv

Flydubai suspended its flights to Tel Aviv after the September 30 incident, saying the move had been made at the request of the authorities.

“At the request of the authorities, we have temporarily suspended operations to Tel Aviv until further notice,” Flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said in a statement.

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“Our teams are working around the clock to support disrupted passengers and help them reach their final destinations,” he said.

Al Ghaith said a full official investigation into the incident was underway and was being led by the relevant authorities, with Flydubai supporting the process.

“I know there are many questions about what happened on board FZ 1073. A full official investigation, led by the relevant authorities and fully supported by flydubai, is underway. It is important that we allow this process to establish the facts,” he said.

Flydubai said all 172 passengers and crew on board were safe. The airline’s captain had also returned to the UAE after receiving medical clearance.

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The incident has triggered wider scrutiny of how foreign airline crews are screened before operating flights to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has separately ordered a review of the security aspects of foreign civil aviation to Israel following the attack.

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