UAE formally classifies FlyDubai co-pilot assault as terrorism; Bloomberg says attacker was earlier fired over extremist ties
UAE authorities have formally classified the FlyDubai cockpit assault as terrorism, confirming the co-pilot used an emergency crash ax as the weapon. Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, reports the co-pilot had previously been dismissed from an earlier pilot-related position over extremist content engagement. The New York Times reconstruction details how crew and passengers contained the attacker and landed the aircraft safely despite chaos inside the cabin, demonstrating extraordinary professional composure. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu also spoke with the flight’s captain. The incident has triggered fresh scrutiny across the aviation industry on cockpit security, screening, pilot psychological evaluation and extremism-monitoring mechanisms.