The Flydubai incident has raised eyebrows among aviation authorities globally, including India. Indian civil aviation authorities will hold "internal deliberations" to decide whether to issue a security-related advisory in the wake of the event.
This comes after the co-pilot of a Flydubai flight en route to Tel Aviv attempted to crash the aircraft on Wednesday, forcing an emergency landing. The flight FZ1073, which was carrying 174 passengers, eventually landed safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The Indian national captain, Smit Machchhar, suffered serious injuries while fighting to stop the co-pilot.
What Indian Authorities Say
In response to the Flydubai incident and whether any security-related advisory will be issued, Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha on Thursday said the issue is under examination, and there would be internal deliberations.
"... in case some advisory is to be issued, obviously we will put it up to the higher authorities for taking a decision on that," Sinha said at a briefing in the national capital. Without providing specific details, he said the questions on the issue can be answered after the internal deliberations.
The development comes after Israeli intelligence and security officials were investigating the co-pilot in Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, the motive of the Omani co-pilot who stabbed his captain on a flight to Israel, causing the plane to plummet dangerously and forcing it to land in Saudi Arabia, is still unknown.
Investigations are being conducted by Israeli authorities, as the Flydubai aircraft carrying 174 people was mostly Israeli. US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he and Netanyahu discussed the incident "at length" by phone, and it seemed as though the co-pilot "was perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job."
Netanyahu said he also spoke with the UAE's president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who agreed that Israel would join the interrogation of the suspect. Netanyahu had warned in recent days of unspecified, heightened security threats, AP reported.
Meanwhile, Flydubai has said its flights to and from Israel would be suspended.
Passengers on board have described how the blood-soaked Indian captain managed to open the cockpit door to let them in before they stopped the co-pilot and stabilised the plane whose blade was torn away.
From 33,000 Feet To 17,000 Feet In A Minute
The Israel-bound flight was in mid-air for about two and a half hours after leaving Dubai. The flight descended from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in about a minute before making an erratic circle close to the Jordanian border and landing in Tabuk about an hour later.
"We felt helpless, suspended in midair, and I didn't know who to turn to. But it was all instinct to survive," one of the responders, Asaf Rajuan, said in a new statement shared by Israel's presidency.
The accused Omani citizen was under arrest, and it was confirmed that Saudi authorities were working with countries, including Israel, to try to determine a motive.
Meanwhile, all possible scenarios, from terrorism to mental disorders, are being looked into. Nothing is ruled out for now.