The United Arab Emirates’ attorney general said investigations into a serious mid-air incident aboard a Flydubai flight have found that the aircraft’s co-pilot attempted to carry out a terrorist attack, after allegedly assaulting the captain and trying to seize control of the plane.
UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot attacked the captain inside the cockpit using a crash axe before attempting to take control of the aircraft’s flight controls, according to the state-run WAM news agency.
The incident occurred aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. More than 170 passengers and crew were reported to have been on board.
During the cockpit struggle, the aircraft descended sharply by more than 16,000 feet before control was recovered. A reserve pilot was subsequently able to stabilise the aircraft and divert it safely to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where Saudi authorities detained the co-pilot.
The captain sustained injuries during the attack but survived.
Al Shamsi said investigators are continuing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident, including the suspect’s motives and whether there were any wider connections. Authorities are also examining physical and digital evidence and conducting technical investigations.
The attorney general said final findings would be released once the necessary investigative procedures are completed.
While UAE authorities have now characterised the incident as an attempted terrorist act, the precise motive and whether the suspect acted alone or had links to any organisation remain under investigation.
The co-pilot has been identified in international media reports as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, although earlier official statements had not publicly confirmed his identity or nationality.
The incident has also raised questions over airline crew vetting and cockpit security. Earlier reports said UAE authorities launched the investigation shortly after the diversion to determine whether the attack was premeditated or linked to terrorist activity.
Flydubai has said it is cooperating with the authorities while investigations continue.
