Closing The Loop
We unpack what happened aboard a Flydubai flight to Israel and the geopolitics behind it.
Happy weekend! Every Saturday, we try to bring stories from the past week (and beyond) to a logical closure rather than rushing off to the next big thing. If you haven’t read these stories yet, now’s the perfect time to quickly catch up over a cup of chai!
A Threat From Inside
A few weeks ago, we marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. In our story “A World Changed in One Morning”, we looked at how the deadliest terrorist attack in history turned airplanes into missiles.
Of the many security changes that followed in a post-9/11 world, one was to strengthen cockpit security to prevent hijackers from storming in and seizing control of a flight. Modern commercial aircraft now generally have reinforced cockpit doors that remain locked from the inside during most of a flight. Access is tightly controlled by the pilots, and only authorised crew members may request entry.*
While this keeps threats from outside the cockpit at bay, what happens when the threat is already inside and the locked door prevents help from getting in? That’s what reportedly happened this week, in what has been described by Israel as a narrowly averted 9/11-style attack on it.*
Early on 30 September, Flydubai flight FZ 1073 took off from UAE’s Dubai for Israel’s Tel Aviv with more than 170 people on board. Around two and a half hours into the flight, the aircraft suddenly descended more than 17,000 feet in less than two minutes!
The pilots first transmitted squawk 7700, the standard code for a general emergency. Shortly afterwards, the aircraft transmitted squawk 7500, the internationally recognised code for unlawful interference or hijacking. The aircraft was eventually diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed safely at Tabuk Airport.*
One possibility is that the attack was an attempt to seize the aircraft and deliberately crash it, à la 9/11. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the incident as a terrorist attack and said the attacker had been radicalised and was targeting Jews.*
It could also have been a pilot murder-suicide attempt. You might remember that after the Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad last year, speculation that the pilots may have deliberately cut fuel to the engines was widely discussed, and fiercely disputed. We looked at the evidence and the unanswered questions in our story “In Memory and Mystery”
At this point, we’ll let the investigation continue to unravel the attacker’s motives and any possible affiliations, before jumping to a conclusion.
A Flight Through Geopolitics
There is also a layer of domestic politics and geopolitics to this incident.
Later this month, we’ll witness the elections to Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset. The election is expected to be a tight race, with Benjamin Netanyahu hoping to win another term as Prime Minister. Both sides will try to score political points from an incident like this. Netanyahu’s opponents could see it as yet another security lapse on his watch. Netanyahu, on the other hand, could use it to reinforce his long-standing emphasis on national security and shift public attention towards the threats Israel faces.
And as for the geopolitics of it all, it helps to get a quick refresher of the Middle East.
We explained the origins of the Israel-Palestine conflict in our story “Peace or Pause?”. The recent incident has come just ahead of the third anniversary of the deadly Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, which triggered the current Gaza war. The subsequent Israeli military response has also drawn concern from several international organisations over its scale and proportionality.
If this wasn’t enough geopolitical drama for you, know that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are regional rivals with their own political tensions. In our story “OPEC’s Grip Slip”, we told you how the UAE recently broke free from OPEC, or the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Saudi Arabia, the biggest oil producer in OPEC by quite some margin, is seen as the group’s de facto leader. And in recent years, its relationship with the UAE has become more strained, which was one of the factors behind the UAE’s decision to leave.
And finally, there is the biggest geopolitical fault line in the region, Iran. After this week’s incident, US President Donald Trump said Iran would be hit “very hard” if it turned out to be behind the co-pilot’s actions.*
Get Dot’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
In our story “After the Ayatollah”, we looked at how tensions in the Middle East escalated after the United States and Israel launched an operation against Iran that resulted in the killing of its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
In “Oil’s Well That Ends Well?”, we took a closer look at the proposed US-Iran memorandum of understanding, and the debate over who emerges in a stronger position.
And if you’re looking for a simple but nuanced explainer on what tensions in the Strait of Hormuz mean for India’s oil and gas situation, head over to “Strait Up Trouble for India”.
Bonus story: If you’re wondering why Captain Smit, from Mumbai, trained in flying in New Zealand and works in the Middle East, be sure to check out our story “Indi No Go”, where we unravel the realities of the Indian aviation industryand why many pilots are choosing to fly off to greener pastures.
Now, Over to You
You might wonder why you have to pay for Dot instead of us relying on ads and sponsored posts (which are just disguised ads).
Well, just look at the alternative! You might think their content is “free”, but is it really “free” from bias, propaganda or vested interests?
Please support independent news platforms, big or small. Support those who still value depth and nuance.
Making sense of the world around you is an essential service. If you get it entirely for free, chances are you are the product!
One big way you can support us is by gifting an annual Dot subscription to your friends, family, loved ones and even enemies (if you want to confuse them a little).
It’s priced at ₹699, and for that, the lucky (and very grateful) recipient gets a full year access to everything on Dot. It’s perfect for any occasion — birthdays, anniversaries, festivities like Diwali, Eid or Christmas, a congratulations for a promotion, a thank-you, a sorry, … or really, no occasion at all!
So why not step away from the safe-but-forgettable and gift something different this time? Head over to this link to get started.
See you tomorrow with another story about our wild, wonderful world.
Curious? Read or listen to what happened aboard a Flydubai flight to Israel and the geopolitics behind it, on Dot.
Find the full story here: https://www.dot.news/post/6abfff3a1bb99e00025befb3
Dot is a reader-supported platform for better journalism.
We publish simple and friendly explainers every day across policy, business, technology & culture. These stories not only tell you what happened, but also why it matters. All it asks is 5 minutes of your time.
No ads, no propaganda, no noise — made possible entirely by our subscribers. Together, let’s unhate news!
Download the Dot app today!
