Deeper motives seen behind flydubai attack

The attempt to sabotage a flydubai airlines flight may have been intended not only to endanger its 174 passengers but to damage relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under the Abraham Accords, Israel’s envoy to the Philippines said.

In an interview with DAILY TRIBUNE, Israeli Ambassador Dana Kursh said the investigation was still in its early stages, but the authorities were looking into whether the Omani co-pilot who tried to sabotage the flight had links to a jihadist terrorist organization.

“There is a big likelihood that it was a terrorist attack attempt by a jihadist terrorist organization,” Kursh said, adding that the incident would have dealt a serious blow to Israel-UAE relations had it succeeded.

“It would have harmed not only the 174 passengers but also the peace accord, which is called the Abraham Accords, between Israel and the UAE,” she said.

The UAE, Bahrain and Morocco normalized relations with Israel under the agreements reached in 2020.

Despite the Middle East conflict that began in 2023, UAE carriers flydubai, Emirates, and Etihad have continued operating flights to and from Israel.

Mid-air struggle

Kursh said preliminary information indicated that the Omani co-pilot sent the aircraft into a sudden descent in an attempt to crash it.

“At the beginning, what the passengers felt was that suddenly the nose of the plane was coming down and it was drastically declining,” she said.

An Indian crew member was injured but managed to open the cockpit, allowing four Israeli passengers to enter and restrain the attacker, Kursh said.

Another pilot helped stabilize the aircraft before it made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The flight later continued to Israel, where it arrived safely.

Terror links probed

Israeli authorities are examining the co-pilot’s background and a possible connection to Iran, although no direct link has yet been established, Kursh said.

She cited Iran’s use of proxy groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas, and said the authorities were examining whether the Iranian regime had any role in the incident.

Saudi authorities have taken custody of the attacker and are conducting their own investigation, while Israeli officials remain in contact with the countries involved.

Kursh said Israel and the UAE would also review security procedures, particularly crew screening.

“We will take this couple of days to investigate the loopholes; how we can ensure that the crew is being screened as well,” she said.