An initial investigation into the diversion of a Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight revealed that the pilot was assaulted by the co-pilot, according to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior on Thursday The jet landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia at 9.45 a.m. local time on Wednesday, September 30, with 174 passengers and an 8-member crew, according to the statement.
Flydubai aircraft FZ 1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, took off from Dubai on Wednesday bound for Israel, but was diverted to Saudi Arabia due to an argument, according to the airline. Earlier, the Indian embassy in the UAE stated that the injured Indian pilot was “in good health and recovering well” in the UAE. Deepak Mittal, the Indian ambassador to the UAE, visited Captain Smit Machchhar and his family at the hospital. He confirmed that Captain Machchhar’s condition is stable, and his morale is good. “He was talking openly, smiling and laughing, which was a huge relief for us,” the agent said.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior supplied additional information, stating that Saudi authorities allowed the flight’s emergency landing at Tabuk’s Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport on Wednesday, September 30. “The aircraft landed safely at 9:45am with 174 passengers and an eight-member flight crew on board, all of whom received necessary logistical and medical care,” it reported.
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