A flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking captain Smit Machchhar to crash flight FZ1073 was described by a colleague as a religious extremist who prayed excessively and refused to shake hands with women.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Omani national underwent Islamist radical indoctrination, while the UAE announced an official investigation to determine a potential terror link.
Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu praised Indian captain Machchhar for his courage in fighting off the attacker and opening the cockpit door to save hundreds of lives.