Flydubai Pilots Who Landed Plane Identified as South African and New Zealander

Two pilots who were aboard a Flydubai flight and took control of the aircraft after the original crew was incapacitated have been identified as a South African and a New Zealander. This contradicts earlier reports suggesting at least one of the relief pilots was British. The information was reported by The Aviation Herald, an aviation incident website, citing a senior Israeli official whose name was not released. The New Zealand media has extensively covered the report about the New Zealander pilot, while South African outlets have also reported that one of the pilots is a citizen of their country. The South African newspaper "Rapport" also reported that the pilots are South African and New Zealander and that their names are being withheld due to an ongoing investigation.

These two pilots were not part of the original flight crew for flight FZ1073 en route to Tel Aviv. They were reportedly on board as relief pilots, dressed in civilian clothes, and were expected to operate the aircraft later. Their presence became crucial after the first officer, Al-Hammami, attacked the captain, Smith Macher. Following Macher's injury, the two relief pilots entered the cockpit.

According to a passenger's testimony to the Associated Press, one of the pilots quickly entered the cockpit, followed by the second. They took control of the plane, stabilized it after an unusual dive, and successfully landed it in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Despite their critical role in the incident, their identities have not been officially released four days later, unlike other key individuals involved, including the injured captain and passengers who helped subdue the assailant.