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Flydubai co-pilot attacked pilot with axe, attempted 'terrorist' attack, UAE says

  • The co-pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073 allegedly attacked the captain with a crash axe while the aircraft was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, according to the UAE prosecutor general.
  • The co-pilot reportedly attempted to seize control of the Boeing 737, causing the aircraft to plunge thousands of feet before the situation was brought under control.
  • The injured captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, managed to open the cockpit door, allowing a reserve pilot and passengers to intervene and help prevent a potential crash.
  • The aircraft, carrying 174 passengers and eight crew members, was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where the pilots received medical treatment before being transferred to the UAE.
  • UAE authorities have described the incident as an attempted “terrorist” attack and are investigating the suspect’s motives, possible planning and any links to extremist groups.
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In the UAE, the attack on the FlyDubai aircraft was recognized as an attempted attack

·Kyiv, Ukraine
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France24France24
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LaProvence.comLaProvence.com
Center

The investigation into the attack on a flydubai flight found that the co-pilot had used the cockpit's emergency axe to attack the pilot, speaking of a "terrorist act", reported on Saturday an official Emirati media outlet, citing the Attorney General.

·Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
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Lean Left

Born in the Emirates as a homonymous father and Syrian mother. His photo accounts of Al Qaeda exponents and Israeli planes immediately after the attempt to hijack...

·Rome, Italy
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NDTV broke the news in New Delhi, India on Friday, October 2, 2026.
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