United Arab Emirates Opens Investigation Into Possible Terrorism Link in flydubai Cockpit Attack

The United Arab Emirates said it is investigating a possible link to terrorism in what Emirati authorities describe as an attempt by a co-pilot to crash a flydubai aircraft bound for Israel, according to Dawn. The aircraft, carrying 174 passengers, made an emergency landing at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a fight in the cockpit. The captain, an Indian national, was stabbed and, according to passenger accounts compiled by CNN, managed to open the cockpit door so that passengers and off-duty pilots could restrain the attacker.

Accounts of motive differ. The United Arab Emirates said it will lead the inquiry, including into any links to terrorism, The New York Times reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said the attacker had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination" without providing details. President Trump went further on Thursday, telling reporters "based on what I'm hearing, the answer is yes" when asked if Iran was linked to the attack, and warning that Iran would "be hit very hard" if that connection is confirmed, according to Euronews. Trump did not explain the basis for his suspicion. The BBC's Hindi service reported that the co-pilot was an Omani national and that Netanyahu was asked how such a crew member came to be assigned to a flight to Israel. No investigating authority has published findings tying the attack to Iran or to any other state.

The commercial consequences swung twice within a single day. Israel's transport ministry said early on Friday that the dispute over Israeli carriers' permissions in Dubai had been resolved and that flights would depart with delays for "completion of preparations and coordination." Hours later, following further negotiations, the United Arab Emirates revoked that approval again, and El Al said it had cancelled its two planned rescue flights, LY974 and LY972, according to Aviation A2Z. Israir and Arkia, by contrast, said they had received final clearance from Emirati authorities and operated repatriation flights from Dubai on Friday, carrying some of the roughly 10,000 Israelis who had been waiting to return home, with passengers told they could not bring trolley bags or suitcases into the cabin. El Al said separately that it is planning to resume scheduled service to Dubai, at least two flights a day, starting in November, subject to approval from Israeli and Emirati security authorities, after a hiatus on the route that began when the war between Israel and Iran escalated earlier this year.

The route itself is what both governments risk losing. Direct service between Israel and the United Arab Emirates was one of the most visible commercial results of the 2020 normalisation agreements, and Friday's reversals show it is now subject to case-by-case security review that can change within hours on either side.