UAE prosecutors have opened a formal investigation into the Flydubai FZ1073 incident after the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and landed safely on Wednesday. Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi ordered a specialised team to examine the circumstances surrounding the in-flight altercation on the UAE-registered aircraft, including whether the case involved terrorism, prior planning or external direction.
The probe involves UAE prosecutors working with the General Civil Aviation Authority and other relevant authorities, while Saudi officials continue their own response to the emergency landing. UAE judicial authorities say they have jurisdiction because the aircraft flies under the UAE flag, meaning national law applies to offences committed on board even outside UAE territory.
The incident has widened from an airline operational event into a government-led criminal inquiry, raising questions over cockpit security and the handling of in-flight violence on a UAE carrier. Initial reports indicated that both pilots were injured and taken to hospital in Tabuk, while passengers and crew were reported safe. Flydubai has also suspended flights to and from Israel as authorities continue to establish the facts.