DUBAI, 2 October — The captain wounded during the flydubai FZ1073 emergency has been medically cleared and is back in the UAE, the airline said on Friday, as the investigation into what happened in the cockpit moved into its third day.

Chief Executive Ghaith Al Ghaith said all 172 passengers and crew on the Dubai–Tel Aviv service are safe and being looked after. He thanked the injured captain, the pilots who brought the aircraft under control and landed it, and the cabin crew who handled the emergency. The airline has paused its Tel Aviv flights at the request of the authorities while teams continue to support those affected.

What happened on Wednesday

FZ1073 left Dubai at 6:05am on Wednesday, 30 September, heading for Tel Aviv. According to CNN's reconstruction, roughly two hours into the journey the aircraft began to lose height quickly and turned sharply north.

The jet was diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk. Reports from the scene say one pilot stabbed the other and that passengers and crew overpowered the person responsible before the aircraft was stabilised. Saudi authorities later confirmed that both pilots were hurt and taken to hospital.

A passenger who spoke to CNN described people on board pitching in to restrain the attacker and help the wounded pilot, saying everyone acted heroically.

Who is accused, and what is not yet confirmed

Careful readers will notice that the public record is thinner than the headlines suggest. Israeli officials briefing CNN said the suspect was the aircraft's co-pilot and an Omani national, though at least one of them did so anonymously. Saudi officials said the suspect had been arrested and was being questioned.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a very serious security incident and said one pilot apparently tried to bring the plane down after wounding the other. Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, described it as an attempted jihadist attack that was foiled thanks to the courage of Israeli passengers.

An Israeli broadcaster has also reported that pro-Palestinian leaflets were found among the co-pilot's belongings. That claim, attributed to an unnamed Emirati source, has not been independently verified, and no motive has been officially established. The suspect has not been convicted of anything, and those details should be treated as allegations until investigators speak.

Abu Dhabi's response

On Friday, Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, posted on X that the incident was a "dangerous terrorist act". He singled out Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, saying the pilot showed courage and responsibility in the darkest moment and was a true hero.

Gargash also urged people to avoid simplified readings of the episode and to steer clear of conspiracy theories, adding that vigilance against extremism remains essential.

His comments followed a decision on Thursday by the UAE attorney-general to set up an investigation team. Its remit includes whether the incident was linked to terrorist activity.

Diplomacy and aviation fallout

The incident has produced rare, direct contact between Abu Dhabi and Jerusalem. Israel's Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar spoke with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and that both agreed to cooperate against extremist elements threatening security. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the outcome a "great miracle" and said the two countries would examine the case in depth together.

Passengers have since returned safely to Israel, according to CNN. In India, Captain Machchhar is being celebrated, with prominent newspapers describing him as a hero from Mumbai.

Why it matters for travellers

Flights to Israel operate under some of the strictest security procedures in civil aviation, and crew members are normally vetted with care. That is why the central question now being asked by aviation analysts is how an in-flight assault of this kind could happen at all. Neither flydubai nor the UAE authorities have yet offered an answer, and the airline has stressed that the official investigation must be allowed to establish the facts.

For passengers booked on Israel routes, the practical advice is simple: check directly with flydubai for schedule changes, since the suspension remains in place with no restart date announced.