UAE confirms attempted terrorist attack on Flydubai flight: Co-pilot attacked the captain with an axe
The preliminary investigation indicates that the co-pilot attempted to seize control of the aircraft. The suspect remains in custody while authorities work to determine his motives and possible connections.
A flydubai plane prepares to land at Ben Gurion Airport in Lod, Israel
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have preliminarily determined that the co-pilot of a flydubai flight bound for Israel attempted to carry out a "terrorist act" by attacking the captain inside the cockpit and attempting to seize control of the aircraft.
The UAE's Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, explained that the co-pilot began carrying out his plan during the flight and used the cockpit's emergency axe to attack the captain, according to a statement released Saturday by the state-run WAM news agency.
"The co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist act," Al Shamsi said, according to information gathered by AFP. The investigation is ongoing to determine the full circumstances of the incident, the co-pilot's motives, and any possible links to other individuals or organizations.
A struggle inside the cockpit
The incident occurred this week during flight FZ1073, which was operating the route between Dubai and Tel Aviv.
According to the agency, the captain, an Indian national, managed to open the cockpit door after being attacked. This allowed passengers and crew members to enter and subdue the co-pilot.
During the confrontation, the plane suffered a sudden loss of altitude. Data from the flight tracking service Flightradar24 cited by the agency indicated that the aircraft descended about 17,000 feet in approximately one minute before control could be regained.
The plane ultimately made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Subsequent reports indicated that pilots traveling on board were able to assist in stabilizing the aircraft and guiding it to Tabuk Airport. The flight was carrying more than 170 passengers and crew members.
Updates
Oman had banned the FlyDubai co-pilot from flying due to his Islamic extremism
Andrés Ignacio Henríquez
The suspect is believed to be from Oman
Emirati authorities did not initially confirm the co-pilot's nationality. However, a Saudi source confirmed to AFP that he is an Omani citizen.
Various media outlets later identified him as Hamam al-Hammami.
The suspect remains in custody while investigators analyze physical and digital evidence to determine whether he acted alone and what motivated the attack.
Other media outlets have reported, citing sources familiar with the case, that the co-pilot had previously faced difficulties working as a pilot in Oman due to concerns related to alleged extremist views.
Netanyahu speaks of "radical indoctrination"
Israel also announced that it will review how the co-pilot could have been authorized to operate a flight into Israeli territory, given the existing restrictions on crews from countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.
For his part, President Donald Trump warned that there would be a strong response if investigations determined any involvement by Iran. So far, however, Emirati authorities have not publicly attributed the incident to Iran nor established links to any specific terrorist group.
The United Arab Emirates Public Prosecutor's Office stated that the final results will be released once the technical analyses, the examination of physical and digital evidence, and the remaining investigative procedures are completed.
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