Flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith confirmed the captain of flight FZ1073 has returned to the UAE after receiving medical clearance following a serious cockpit incident that forced the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight to divert to Saudi Arabia.
It also temporarily stopped services to Tel Aviv until further notice at the request of authorities.
FZ1073 was going from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when it was diverted to Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia following what Flydubai described as a safety incident in the flight deck. All passengers and crew members on board were reported safe after the emergency, the airline said.
In his statement, Al Ghaith voiced gratitude to the captain, pilots, cabin crew and passengers who helped with what he described as a challenging situation. He also thanked Saudi authorities for their response and UAE authorities for helping passengers and crew return home.
The captain, identified in multiple reports as Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, was injured and went into medical care after the incident, according to various reports in a series of news accounts of the incident.
The flight crew are returning to UAE once the medical clearance is given and is the most recent news about the flight crew. The airline has not released any further medical details of the captain's injuries.
The flight had a major emergency. The plane was diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely, a report said. There was a fast descent and the crew and others on board helped it down, they said. Authorities have urged the public to rely on official information as the investigation continues.
Flydubai has now suspended its Tel Aviv service until further notice in response to the authorities’ request, the airline said. “Our teams are working with passengers affected by the disruption to get them to their destinations.
Emirates has also suspended its codeshare between UAE and Tel Aviv because of the investigation.
Al Ghaith said a full official investigation is currently being carried out to establish what happened aboard FZ1073. The airline is supporting the investigation and has said that the facts should be established through the official process.
The incident attracted international attention because of the unusual circumstances of the flight and the emergency diversion. But some of the stories from inside the cockpit have been going around and should not be regarded as facts as confirmed by the authorities until confirmed.
Flydubai’s focus now is to assist passengers and crew affected by the incident and the investigation of the accident is ongoing. Safety is the airline’s top priority, it said.
The suspension of Tel Aviv flights will remain in place until further notice and passengers are advised to check directly with the airline for updates on affected services.
