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NIA will seek the Centre’s permission to visit the UAE to record Captain Smit Machchhar’s statement and obtain investigators’ findings in the Flydubai cockpit attack case.
NIA To Seek Centre’s Nod To Visit UAE For Smit Machchhar’s Statement (Photo: PTI)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will soon approach the Centre for permission to send a team to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to record the statement of Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar and interact with local investigators probing the alleged hijacking attempt aboard a Flydubai flight last month, Hindustan Times reported.
The agency may also seek access to arrested Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami for questioning, officials familiar with the matter were quoted as saying.
The proposed visit comes after the NIA registered a case to investigate the alleged larger conspiracy behind the September 30 mid-air attack on Captain Machchhar aboard Flydubai flight FZ-1073. The incident took place while the aircraft was travelling from Dubai towards Tel Aviv.
“It’s a process since the incident has taken place on foreign soil. A NIA team will soon be sent to the UAE, after obtaining necessary permissions, to record Machchhar’s statement and to get details from the UAE investigators,” a government official told Hindustan Times, requesting anonymity.
The NIA is also seeking to obtain details of the findings of UAE investigators as part of its probe into the incident.
NIA Case After Centre’s Direction
The NIA registered the case on October 9 following a direction from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for a thorough investigation into the incident.
At A Glance
The NIA will seek the Centre’s permission to travel to the UAE to record Captain Smit Machchhar’s statement and consult local investigators.
The agency may also seek access to arrested Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami for questioning.
The NIA registered a case on October 9 under the Anti-Hijacking Act and UAPA to investigate the alleged cockpit attack.
The case was registered under Section 3 of the Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016, and Section 16 read with Section 15(1)(a) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, along with relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
The agency took up the investigation because the alleged attack targeted an Indian national and involved an apparent attempt to hijack the aircraft or cause it to crash.
In its First Information Report (FIR), the NIA stated that the matter required investigation by the agency owing to the gravity of the alleged offence and its wider implications.
“The case is related to an attack on an Indian national with an apparent attempt to hijack or crash the plane, and having regard to the gravity of the offence, its grave national and international ramifications, and the need to unearth the larger conspiracy, the matter requires investigation by NIA,” the FIR stated, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
The investigation is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the cockpit attack and whether a larger conspiracy was involved.
What Happened Aboard Flydubai Flight FZ-1073?
Flydubai flight FZ-1073 departed Dubai at 7.05 am Gulf Standard Time on September 30, carrying 174 passengers and six crew members.
At around 9.21 am GST, while flying near the Jordan-Saudi Arabia border, the aircraft reportedly dived rapidly and turned back into Saudi airspace.
The NIA’s FIR stated that passengers reported that the Omani first officer attacked Captain Machchhar inside the cockpit with an apparent attempt to hijack the aircraft or cause it to crash.
The captain sustained deep cuts to his head and hands during the attack. Passengers and crew members overpowered the first officer and restrained him, according to the report.
Other Flydubai pilots aboard the aircraft subsequently took control and landed it safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia, at 10.45 am GST.
Saudi authorities arrested the first officer following the landing.
UAE Investigation Points To Alleged Terror Plot
A statement by UAE Attorney-General Counsellor Dr Hamad Saif Shamsi suggested that an investigation had revealed that the Omani co-pilot had allegedly planned a terrorist attack to seize control of the aircraft and crash it into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, to cause maximum casualties.
According to the UAE state news agency WAM, the alleged plot was intended to be carried out during a flight scheduled to travel from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30.
The investigation reportedly traced the suspect’s ideological and professional background, with signs of alleged radicalisation first emerging in 2017, when he was studying in Australia.
During that period, he was allegedly influenced by extremist literature and online content glorifying terrorist organisations and suicide attacks.
Quick Answers
Ask News18The NIA plans to approach the Centre for permission to send a team to the UAE to record the statement of Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, interact with local investigators, and potentially question the arrested Omani co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, regarding the September 30 mid-air attack.
Ask News18About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
October 14, 2026, 08:57 IST
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