File photo: Travellers board a FlyDubai aircraft at Ben Gurion International Airport (Picture credit: Reuters)
The aircraft plunged about 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia, according to data from flight tracker Flightradar24.
An Israeli government official told Reuters that Israeli investigators would participate in the UAE-led investigation alongside Emirati authorities to establish what happened and examine the suspect’s motives and background. In a video statement released by his office, Netanyahu said whoever was involved would pay a “heavy price”. Netanyahu had said on Thursday that the co-pilot, whom he identified as an Omani national, had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination” and was suicidal. Israeli investigators are participating in the UAE-led probe, according to the Israeli government official cited by Reuters.
The UAE foreign ministry did not immediately comment on whether Israeli officials would directly question the co-pilot. However, the motive for the attack has not yet been established. Machchhar has been hailed as a hero by Netanyahu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his actions during the incident.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel was also investigating whether the co-pilot had acted under the direction of another party.
Israeli investigators are expected to question the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the captain and attempting to crash a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, as part of a UAE-led investigation into the incident, according to a source briefed on the probe.