Saudi to investigate flydubai cockpit stabbing
Saudi Arabia is launching an air safety inquiry into a flydubai flight following a cockpit stabbing incident last week, according to three sources. The incident occurred on September 30 when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with an axe while the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft was flying through Saudi Arabian airspace en route to Israel.
All 172 passengers, mostly Israeli citizens, survived the incident, with the plane making a sharp descent before stabilizing. The Saudi investigation is separate from a criminal probe initiated by the UAE, which has characterized the event as a terrorist act. The Saudi National Transport Safety Center, responsible for accident investigations, has notified international aviation authorities of its intent to conduct the investigation.
The US National Transportation Safety Board and Israel have confirmed their involvement in the probe. The safety inquiry aims to uncover technical and operational lessons to enhance future flight safety, though it is not obligatory in cases of deliberate action. While Saudi Arabia and Israel lack diplomatic ties, past investigations have fostered technical cooperation despite political tensions.
The incident may test international collaboration under Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which facilitates joint safety investigations with the primary focus on cause identification and prevention of similar incidents, rather than assigning blame.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
