UAE says FlyDubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe in 'terrorist' act
UAE authorities have confirmed that a FlyDubai co-pilot attempted a terrorist attack on a flight to Tel Aviv using a cockpit crash axe. The pilot, an Omani national, had previously been removed from flying duties by Oman Air due to concerns over extremist ideologies.
Why it matters
This incident raises significant questions regarding international aviation security protocols and the vetting processes for pilots moving between airlines across borders.
The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight used a crash axe against the captain and “attempted to carry out a terrorist attack”, the United Arab Emirates’ prosecutor general said on Saturday, while the UAE president's diplomatic adviser Dr Anwar Gargash called the incident "a dangerous terrorist act". A crash axe is a tool in the cockpit for the pilots to use in an emergency.In the first comments by Emirati investigators on Saturday, UAE prosecutor general Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said the co-pilot of FlyDubai flight FZ1073 tried to take control of the aircraft and that the investigation continues “to uncover all the circumstances of the incident, its motives, and related connections, in addition to completing technical examinations and examining physical and digital evidence”, according to UAE state news agency WAM.The co-pilot who nearly crashed the Tel-Aviv bound flight with 182 people aboard is an Omani national…
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