{
  "id": 11631902,
  "title": "UAE investigators say flydubai co-pilot was planning 'terrorist act'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/uae-investigators-say-flydubai-co-pilot-was-planning-terrorist-act",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-03T07:38:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2034442/uae-investigators-say-flydubai-co-pilot-was-planning-terrorist-act"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The UAE's attorney general has stated that the co-pilot aboard a flydubai flight bound for Israel allegedly planned to carry out a \"terrorist act\" and attacked the captain with the aircraft's emergency axe, according to the official UAE news agency WAM. The investigation's initial findings indicate the co-pilot intended to seize control of the plane. The individual in question, identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, had previously been barred from flying in Oman due to concerns over his extremist views, multiple media outlets reported. Omani authorities determined that al-Hammami held extremist views and had spent time in Syria, raising suspicions he may have been influenced by radical groups there. Investigations into al-Hammami's motives and activities have been intensified following Wednesday's incident aboard the Dubai-Tel Aviv route that officials claim narrowly avoided catastrophe. During the incident, the Indian captain managed to open the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew to overpower the attacker, leading to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.",
  "summary": "The UAE’s attorney general said the co-pilot of a flydubai flight to Israel had planned a “terrorist act” and used the cockpit’s emergency axe to attack the captain, the official UAE news agency WAM reported Saturday. The news agency quoted Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi as saying that according to the initial findings of an investigation, “the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 10,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Middle East Eye",
        "title": "UAE prosecutor general says flydubai co-pilot 'attempted terrorist attack'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/uae-prosecutor-general-says-flydubai-co-pilot-attempted-terrorist",
        "published": "2026-10-03T06:25:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Co-pilot on flydubai flight 'attempted to carry out terrorist act', UAE's attorney general says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/co-pilot-on-flydubai-flight-attempted-to-carry-out-terrorist-act-uaes",
        "published": "2026-10-03T06:30:57.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "Omani pilot used ‘crash axe’ in cockpit to attack Captain Smit Machchhar, attempted ‘terrorist attack’: UAE",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/omani-pilot-used-crash-axe-in-cockpit-to-attack-captain-smit",
        "published": "2026-10-03T06:47:39.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC World",
        "title": "Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe, UAE official says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/flydubai-co-pilot-attacked-captain-with-axe-uae-official-says",
        "published": "2026-10-03T07:49:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ajel English",
        "title": "Flydubai co-pilot attempted terror attack during flight, UAE says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/flydubai-co-pilot-attempted-terror-attack-during-flight-uae-says",
        "published": "2026-10-03T08:04:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Le Monde English",
        "title": "UAE investigators say flydubai co-pilot was planning 'terrorist act'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/uae-investigators-say-flydubai-co-pilot-was-planning-terrorist-act-11638638",
        "published": "2026-10-03T08:20:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "KBC",
        "title": "Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe, UAE official says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/flydubai-co-pilot-attacked-captain-with-axe-uae-official-says-11642808",
        "published": "2026-10-03T08:26:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "KahawaTungu",
        "title": "Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe, UAE official says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/flydubai-co-pilot-attacked-captain-with-axe-uae-official-says-11643100",
        "published": "2026-10-03T08:28:09.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "UAE investigators say flydubai co-pilot was planning ‘terrorist act’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/uae-investigators-say-flydubai-co-pilot-was-planning-terrorist-act-11645219",
        "published": "2026-10-03T08:46:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}