FlyDubai plane attack by co-pilot was an attempted 'terrorist' act, UAE says

A flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft prepares for landing at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in Lod on September 30, 2026. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP via Getty Images)Jack Guez | Afp | Getty ImagesThe co-pilot of a FlyDubai plane who attacked the flight's captain with an axe this week was attempting a terrorist attack, the United Arab Emirates said Saturday."The co-pilot began executing his plan during the flight, attacking the captain inside the flight deck using a crash axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft," UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said in a post on X titled: "Planning and attempted terrorist act behind flydubai flight FZ1073 incident."Anwar Gargash, senior advisor to the UAE's president, said the region's "struggle with extremism persists, and justifying terrorism through hate speech is part of the danger, not its margins.""The latest terrorist operation is a new warning that the confrontation has not ended," Gargash said in a post on X.The flight on Sept. 30 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was carrying 172 passengers and crew, according to UAE-based FlyDubai. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said most of those aboard were Israeli citizens, adding that...