UAE investigators say flydubai co-pilot was planning ‘terrorist act’

UAE investigators allege that the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ 1073, which was en route to Israel, was planning a terrorist act and used the emergency axe to assault the captain. The co-pilot, whose nationality remains undisclosed by the UAE, was reportedly Omani according to a Saudi source. Multiple reports suggest the individual had been barred from flying in his home country due to extremist views.

The attack occurred during the flight, causing a rapid descent and forcing an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The Indian captain managed to overpower the attacker by opening the cockpit door, leading to the incapacitation of the co-pilot. The suspect is currently in custody in the UAE. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested the suspect had undergone Islamist radical indoctrination and attempted to crash the plane.