Sheikh Hamdan Visits Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar as FZ1073 Investigation Continues

DUBAI, 3 October 2026 — Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum went to see the injured flydubai captain Smit Machchhar in hospital on Saturday, a visit that put a personal face on one of the most closely watched aviation stories the UAE has seen in years.

The Dubai Crown Prince, who is also Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, shared photographs of the visit on X. He described the Indian pilot as someone who had shown the highest levels of courage, responsibility and care for human life, and said the country's leadership was grateful. He added that Machchhar is now part of the story of the UAE and of what the nation stands for.

A recovery under close watch

The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said on Friday that the captain had returned safely to the country, was in good condition and was receiving medical treatment. The Indian ambassador to the UAE also visited him and said he was recovering well, according to Khaleej Times. Khaleej Times also reported that the pilot spoke by phone with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had earlier called him a hero for protecting passengers despite his injuries.

What happened on 30 September

Flydubai flight FZ1073 left Dubai International Airport on Wednesday 30 September, bound for Tel Aviv. At about 9.21am UAE time, flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft, then cruising near 34,000 feet, start a steep descent. It climbed, dropped again and was down near 15,000 feet by roughly 9.33am.

Saudi Arabia's Tabuk airport said its control tower received a distress call at 9.44am UAE time. The aircraft landed at 10.45am. Both the captain and the co-pilot were hurt and were taken to hospital, the airport said.

Flydubai's first statement, issued around 11.30am, said only that the flight had "experienced an incident." Later in the afternoon the airline gave a fuller account: there had been an altercation on the flight deck, and the aircraft was secured by flydubai crew who were travelling on the flight as passengers. It said everyone on board was safe, and that the reasons and motives behind the event were unknown.

Two replacement aircraft were sent to Tabuk. The passengers left for their destination at about 6.40pm UAE time, and the substitute flight later reached Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport.

Competing accounts, one formal inquiry

In the hours that followed, accounts from outside the UAE filled the gap. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the captain had been stabbed but still managed to open the cockpit door, which allowed passengers and crew to step in. US President Donald Trump, repeating what he had been told, cautioned that he could not confirm it. A Saudi ministry said initial findings pointed to the pilot having been assaulted by the co-pilot, according to Khaleej Times.

The UAE has been careful not to endorse any of this. The GCAA called the episode a "security incident" that had been brought under control, and officials repeatedly asked the public not to pass around unverified claims.

On Thursday 1 October, the UAE Attorney General, Counsellor Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, set up a dedicated Public Prosecution team to look into the case. Among its tasks is to establish whether the incident was linked to any terrorist activity or purpose, or involved prior planning or direction. Investigators were told to collect evidence and work out both the circumstances and the motives.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that UAE courts have jurisdiction because the aircraft is registered in the country and flies its flag. Under UAE law, crimes committed on board a UAE-registered aircraft can be prosecuted even when the aircraft is outside national territory. The ministry also thanked the Saudi authorities for their handling of the emergency landing.

Knock-on effects for travellers

The incident has already changed some flight schedules. Flydubai suspended all flights to and from Israel while the investigation proceeds, saying the pause would give the authorities room to establish the facts. Emirates, which sells seats on flydubai flights under a codeshare arrangement, stopped its Tel Aviv codeshare operations until further notice.

Passengers holding bookings on either carrier to or from Israel should check directly with the airline before travelling.

What remains unanswered

Several important questions are still open. Officials have not publicly stated why the altercation began, how long it lasted, or what role, if any, planning played. Neither the GCAA nor the Attorney General's office has published findings, and no timetable for a report has been announced.

For now, the verified picture is limited to what the authorities have confirmed: a flight-deck altercation, injuries to both pilots, a safe diversion and landing in Saudi Arabia, and a criminal investigation under UAE jurisdiction. Everything beyond that remains attributed to individual officials or unconfirmed reports, and this newsroom will continue to separate the two as the inquiry develops.

Saturday's hospital visit does not change the facts of the case, but it signals how seriously the UAE leadership regards what the captain did, and how closely the country is following his recovery.