Flydubai co-pilot allegedly wielded axe in attempted terrorist attack
The use of the crash axe dispels concerns that the suspect carried a knife onto the aircraft, but sets off a debate about future safeguards against rogue pilots.
The co-pilot of a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv attempted to carry out a terrorist attack with an axe during the flight, according to the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general. The attack was thwarted when passengers and crew members subdued the co-pilot, who had attacked the pilot in the cockpit. The incident occurred on Wednesday while the plane was en route to Israel with over 170 passengers and crew members on board.
The co-pilot, identified as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national, is suspected of using a crash axe, which is typically kept in the cockpit for emergencies. The investigation, led by the UAE, is ongoing and will reveal the co-pilot's motives once completed. Most passengers on the flight were Israeli nationals, and the aircraft was successfully landed at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.
The UAE has stated that it has zero tolerance for terrorism and will not show leniency toward extremist rhetoric.
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