The UAE's attorney general has ordered an investigation into the mid-flight altercation aboard a flydubai aircraft that forced the plane to divert to Saudi Arabia.
Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi directed a specialist team to examine flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai airport to Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
The probe will look at whether the mid-air drama involved "any terrorist activity or purpose or involved prior planning or direction", news agency Wam said.
Saudi Arabia announced initial findings from its own investigation late on Thursday. The Interior Ministry said the pilot was "assaulted by his co-pilot, resulting in both sustaining various injuries".
An official ministry source said both pilots had left for Abu Dhabi on Thursday after their conditions improved. They said a UAE security team had assisted the Saudi investigation.
The pilot attacked on board has been identified as Smit Machchhar from India. The co-pilot's identity has not been revealed, although Israeli authorities have claimed he was Omani.
Details of what happened on the flight on Wednesday morning remain unclear, but the Boeing 737 plunged 14,000ft during a cockpit altercation before it diverted to Saudi Arabia. Crew members and passengers intervened to help land the plane safely at Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Airport.
UAE probe
The UAE team has begun work in co-ordination with the General Civil Aviation Authority and other UAE authorities, Wam said.
The attorney general urged the public to refrain from circulating unverified information. Early reports of the mid-air drama, including the nationalities of the pilots and other details, were strewn with inaccuracies.
Under UAE law, crimes committed aboard aircraft registered in the country fall within the jurisdiction of UAE courts, regardless of where the incident occurs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated on Thursday.
"The UAE also expressed its appreciation to the Saudi authorities for their cooperation and handling of the incident", it added.
Hero pilot
Meanwhile, the flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar, hailed as a hero for averting a potential disaster on the flight, is recovering in a UAE hospital.
Dr Deepak Mittal, India's Ambassador to the UAE, visited the captain at the hospital and said he was recovering rapidly.
"He was speaking openly, smiling and laughing, which was a great relief for us and, above all, for his family," said Mr Mittal. He added that the pilot's morale was high and that he was being well cared for by the hospital team.
The Israeli Prime Minister publicly named the Indian aviator and recognised him for his actions.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, Mr Machchhar "has shown the world the highest form of courage. Without fearing for his own life, he fought valiantly."
Speaking on Wednesday night, US President Donald Trump called the captain a hero, while saying he was "pretty banged up" in the cockpit assault.
Disaster averted on Israel flight – in pictures
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Flydubai flight FZ1073, on its way to Israel from Dubai, was diverted to Saudi Arabia on September 30 after an in-flight security incident that led to the stabbing of its pilot. Photo: Kann Media -
Yaniv Hayun, one of the men who helped incapacitate the attacker, at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. Reuters -
Indian pilot Smit Machchhar has been hailed as a hero for saving passengers despite being stabbed. Reuters -
A second flydubai plane was sent to Saudi Arabia to retrieve the stranded passengers and return them to Israel. Getty Images -
Assaf Regavim, who filmed a video from inside the cabin and helped to overpower the attacker, talks to reporters at Ben Gurion Airport. Getty Images -
A relieved passenger from Flight FZ1073 after landing in Israel. Getty Images -
Ambulances are kept at the ready as passengers arrive in Israel on the second flydubai aircraft. Reuters -
A passenger exits through the domestic arrivals doors with his dog and his luggage at Ben Gurion Airport. Getty Images -
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets Yaniv Hayun, a passenger on the diverted flydubai plane. Reuters
Israeli leaders claim attack was 'terrorism'
Israeli leaders have alleged the attack on the flydubai plane was 'terrorism', even as an investigation is yet to be completed.
Defence Minister Israel Katz has called it an "attempted jihadist terror attack".
US President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Mr Netanyahu, saying it seemed as though the attacker was "perhaps a terrorist" or there were other reasons behind it.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog was asked whether he thought there was an Iranian link to the incident, but said: "It's too early to say". He did refer to the co-pilot as a "terrorist".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed in an interview with Fox News that the co-pilot had undergone "radical Islamist indoctrination" and was clearly "suicidal".
Mid-air drama
Narrating events in the cockpit, Mr Herzog claimed: "He was fighting, the co-pilot was stabbing him ... with an axe or a knife ... screaming and screaming and wanting to bring the plane down.
"They pulled out the terrorist, they handcuffed him, they pulled out the pilot, they took care of him with a doctor - [he] was actually a dentist who took care of him and saved his life ... the life of the Indian hero."
Mr Herzog alleged that the co-pilot is Omani - though there was no confirmation of that from Oman, the UAE or flydubai.
He claimed he is an "Omani citizen, although that does not mean anything. They're all peaceful nations".
Mr Herzog thanked the people of Saudi Arabia for their help and suggested the drama could improve relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. He further highlighted that the UAE and other Gulf states are "all partners in fighting terror together".
