UAE Investigation Finds Flydubai Co-Pilot Planned 'Terrorist Act'

An investigation by United Arab Emirates authorities has concluded that a co-pilot on a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv was planning a 'terrorist act,' according to a report from RFI citing the official Emirati news agency WAM.

The UAE's attorney general said the inquiry found the co-pilot used the cockpit's emergency axe, a piece of standard safety equipment, to attack the pilot during the flight. The report did not specify the exact flight number, departure time, or how crew members or passengers responded to the incident as it unfolded.

The findings suggest Emirati authorities view the incident as a planned act rather than a spontaneous outburst, a characterization that is likely to shape the nature of any criminal charges brought against the co-pilot. Flydubai, the Dubai-based low-cost carrier operating the flight, has not issued its own detailed public account of the incident separate from the official investigation findings cited in the report.

Security incidents involving flight crew members are exceedingly rare in commercial aviation, and an attack originating from within the cockpit itself, rather than from a passenger, represents an unusual scenario for aviation security protocols, which are generally designed around threats from the cabin rather than among flight crew.

Details on the co-pilot's background, nationality, and any stated motive behind the alleged plan were not included in the available report. It was also not specified whether the flight was diverted, delayed, or completed its journey to Tel Aviv following the incident.

UAE authorities indicated that the investigation into the case remains ongoing.