UAE calls flydubai cockpit confrontation a terrorist attack

The United Arab Emirates has described an incident aboard a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv as a terrorist attack, saying the co-pilot assaulted the captain and tried to seize control of the aircraft. The incident occurred on Wednesday aboard flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 people on board. The UAE statement cited the Attorney General.

According to the statement, the co-pilot attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar with the cockpit’s crash axe before attempting to take control of the aircraft. Passengers and other crew members intervened and subdued the co-pilot. The authorities said their intervention prevented the confrontation from escalating further.

The available material does not state whether the aircraft changed course or provide details about its eventual arrival. The co-pilot was identified by Al Arabiya as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. The UAE statement did not give a motive for the alleged attack or explain the sequence of events inside the cockpit in further detail.

The classification of the incident as a terrorist attack was made by the UAE on Saturday. Further details about the co-pilot’s actions and the investigation were still awaited. The account supplied does not include information about injuries to the captain, co-pilot, passengers or other crew members.

It also does not provide details of any charges or legal proceedings. The incident remains under investigation, according to the supplied report. Any further account of the motive, the precise actions inside the cockpit or the authorities’ next steps would depend on information not included in the source material.