UAE Honors flydubai Crew Who Stopped Mid-Air Attack on FZ1073

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has honored the flydubai crew of flight FZ1073 with the First Class Order of Zayed II for their conduct during a mid-air attack on September 30. Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented the medals and praised the crew’s bravery and sense of duty toward passengers.

The flight left Dubai for Tel Aviv on Wednesday, September 30. About two and a half hours in, a fight broke out in the cockpit, and the aircraft made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. Captain Smit Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot before he could open the cockpit door, he told The National.

UAE authorities have described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack. Prosecutors said on October 9 that the 29-year-old co-pilot planned to hijack the plane and crash it into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport. Investigators also said he used a crash axe and had made two earlier trips to Tel Aviv to learn the route.

The ceremony makes the crew the center of a story that has drawn global attention. UAE officials say the crew, with help from another pilot on board and passengers, brought the situation under control. Investigations are continuing, so the full account of what happened is not yet public. flydubai suspended its flights to Tel Aviv after the incident and has not said when it will resume.

Authorities have not announced charges or a trial date, and the investigations continue. flydubai has not said when it will restart service to Tel Aviv.