Saudi Arabia Investigates Flydubai Incident, Israel Awaits Invitation
Translated & summarized from Makor Rishon by baba
Saudi Arabia has opened a safety investigation into a Flydubai flight incident where the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain. The UAE is conducting a separate criminal probe, calling it a "terrorist attack." Israel, whose citizens were the majority of passengers, has offered to join the Saudi-led safety investigation but has not yet received an invitation. Experts believe international aviation safety cooperation can overcome political differences.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Saudi Arabia is investigating a Flydubai flight incident where the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain.
- The UAE has launched a separate criminal investigation, labeling the event a "terrorist attack."
- Israel, with nearly all passengers as its citizens, awaits an invitation to join the Saudi safety probe.
- The incident occurred on a flight to Israel on September 30, with the co-pilot suspected of trying to crash the plane.
- International aviation safety cooperation mechanisms are expected to facilitate Israel's potential involvement.
Saudi Arabia has launched an aviation safety investigation into the incident aboard a Flydubai flight last week, where the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain in the cockpit. Experts are also examining the potential implications for aviation safety, separate from a criminal investigation already underway in the United Arab Emirates. While safety investigations are standard after accidents, they are not mandatory for intentional acts. In this case, the co-pilot is suspected of attempting to crash the plane, flight FZ1073, which was en route to Israel on September 30.
Sources close to the matter revealed that Saudi Arabia has informed international aviation bodies of its intention to conduct a safety investigation according to international rules. The incident occurred when the co-pilot attacked the captain with an axe while the aircraft was in Saudi airspace. The Saudi National Center for Transportation Safety, responsible for accident investigations, has not yet responded to requests for comment, nor have the Saudi government or aviation authority.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is expected to be closely involved due to the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft's design and manufacture in the United States, but was unavailable for comment. The UAE, where the aircraft is registered and the airline is based, is automatically involved in the investigation under international rules. The UAE has already opened a separate criminal investigation, which the country's attorney general termed a "terrorist attack."
Israel, whose citizens comprised nearly all of the 172 passengers on board, has offered to participate in any safety investigation led by Saudi Arabia but has not yet been invited. Ofer Vakinan, head of the Israeli Air Accident Investigation Unit, stated, "We are still waiting for an announcement from Saudi Arabia inviting us to participate in the investigation." Despite the lack of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, experts note that international cooperation mechanisms for accident prevention can often transcend political disputes.
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