Co-pilot on FlyDubai plane ‘attacked captain with axe’
A FlyDubai co-pilot, identified as an Omani national, allegedly attacked the captain with an axe during a flight to Israel. UAE officials have labeled the incident a terrorist act, raising questions about the airline's vetting processes and the pilot's history of extremist views.
Why it matters
This incident highlights significant security concerns regarding aviation safety and the vetting of international flight crews.
THE CO-PILOT on a FlyDubai flight that nearly crashed last week attacked the captain with the cockpit’s crash axe in a “terrorist” incident, according to United Arab Emirates officials.
The UAE statement cited the attorney general as saying the co-pilot also tried to take control of the plane during Wednesday’s attack on the Israel-bound flight with 182 people on board.
Passengers and crew intervened to subdue the co-pilot and stabilise the plane.
The co-pilot has also been named by sources as Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami.
One Gulf diplomat said investigations are under way to establish whether al-Hammami acted as a “lone wolf or has any connection with any extremist groups”.
The co-pilot was barred from flying by Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views, a person familiar with the matter said.
Passengers arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport (Ariel Schalit/AP)
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