UAE Attorney General

The UAE's attorney general says the first officer of a FlyDubai flight attacked the aircraft's captain using an emergency axe on board. The case is under investigation, and details about how the assault unfolded, the fate of both crew members and the condition of the flight remain limited, prompting wide coverage of what else is known about the incident.

The copilot of Flydubai flight 1073 who attacked his captain mid-flight was planning a terrorist act, according to the UAE attorney general. The statement sheds new light on the in-flight assault, which had already drawn widespread attention. Investigators are now treating the incident as an attempted terrorist attack rather than a simple case of workplace violence, raising questions about airline crew vetting and cabin security procedures.

UAE Attorney General says a Flydubai copilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe on board in what authorities describe as a terrorist act. The case has drawn wide attention given its rare nature and the implications for aviation security in the UAE, with officials characterising the incident as terrorism rather than a workplace dispute.