UAE Says flydubai FZ1073 Co-Pilot Attempted Terrorist Attack With Cockpit Axe

ABU DHABI — UAE investigators have determined that the co-pilot of flydubai (FZ) Flight FZ1073 attempted to carry out a terrorist act, the country's attorney-general said in a statement published Saturday. The finding gives the September 30 cockpit attack an official terrorism designation, but the investigation into motive and possible links is continuing.

Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe inside the flight deck and tried to take control of the aircraft. Authorities are still examining physical and digital evidence and will announce final results after completing the investigation, he said.

The flight was traveling from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) near Tel Aviv when it diverted to Tabuk Airport (TUU) in Saudi Arabia. The UAE's civil aviation authority said some crew members were injured. flydubai said the aircraft landed safely and that all passengers and crew were accounted for. The airline initially described the event as an altercation in the flight deck; Saturday's statement is the attorney-general's finding that it was an attempted terrorist act.

Previous airline screening and route assignment

Royal Air Maroc (AT) told The Associated Press in a statement about the co-pilot's training that he completed three months of theoretical training in 2025 as part of its pre-employment process, but was not selected for a job. The airline gave no reason, and its decision cannot be treated as evidence of a security concern.

AP also cited a regional official and a person familiar with the matter who said Oman had barred the co-pilot from flying over concerns that he had adopted extremist views. Both spoke anonymously, and Oman Air had not commented to AP. The UAE attorney-general's statement does not address those accounts. It remains unknown what information flydubai had before hiring the co-pilot.

AP reported that Israel says it has agreements with foreign airlines restricting pilots from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from flying there. The co-pilot is Omani, and Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, according to AP. The sources reviewed for this update do not establish whether such a restriction applied to this flight or what checks preceded the crew assignment.

flydubai said it has temporarily suspended flights to and from Israel while the investigation continues. Its latest update lists no resumption date. The UAE finding establishes the attorney-general's current classification of the attack; it does not resolve the co-pilot's motive, whether anyone else directed him or what employment and route-assignment procedures applied before the flight. Airways examined those questions in an aviation-security analysis published before Saturday's finding.