Israeli Transport Ministry Delegation to Visit UAE Over Flydubai Flights

A delegation from Israel's Ministry of Transport is set to travel to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, approximately six weeks after a near-disaster on a Flydubai flight. The delegation, including Ministry Director General Moshe Ben Zaken and security officials, will meet with local aviation and security authorities. On Monday, the delegation will be presented with the investigation report into the attempted attack on the aircraft. Following the visit, the Ministry of Transport will decide whether Flydubai will resume flights to Israel. Discussions are also planned with senior officials at Dubai International Airport, potentially addressing the return of Israeli airlines to the UAE and seeking a solution to the security crisis that has prevented Israeli carriers from flying to Dubai, in anticipation of regular flights resuming between Ben Gurion Airport and the Gulf nation.

Earlier this week, Israel's Ministry of Defense declared that the passengers on the flight, which the co-pilot attempted to crash, would be recognized as victims of hostile acts. The Ministry of Defense stated that upon receiving official confirmation from authorized Israeli investigators, the approving authority recognized the attempted attack on the Flydubai flight as an act of hostility. This decision has been conveyed to the National Insurance Institute, which is in contact with the victims for further processing. Civilian passengers who suffered physical or psychological harm can file claims for disability assessments as victims of hostile acts.

On the morning of Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Flydubai flight FZ1073, en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers, became the scene of an attempted aerial attack. About an hour before its scheduled landing, the Omani co-pilot, Mamam Al-Hamami, attacked the Indian captain, Sumit Machhar, with an emergency axe in the cockpit and manipulated the controls to crash the plane over Israel. This action caused a sharp dive of approximately 17,000 feet in less than a minute. While the injured captain managed to transmit distress and hijacking signals, prompting the scramble of Israeli Air Force fighter jets under a "global trade" alert, Israeli passengers and crew members broke into the cockpit, subdued the attacker with their bare hands, and neutralized him. A substitute pilot on board then took command and successfully executed an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, where the co-pilot was arrested. Authorities in the UAE and Israel have classified the incident as an act of terror.