The United Arab Emirates has officially characterized an incident involving a FlyDubai aircraft as a terrorist act, after the plane’s co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with an axe during a flight.
Authorities confirmed the classification of the assault, which occurred aboard the commercial carrier, as an act of terrorism. The specific details regarding the flight path, number of passengers, or the current condition of the injured captain were not immediately elaborated upon in the initial statement.
The designation underscores the severity with which UAE officials are treating the breach of safety within the aviation sector. Investigations into the motive and background of the co-pilot are expected to follow.
Glad UAE is taking aviation safety seriously, but this classification will have huge legal implications.
How did the co-pilot even get an axe on board? Security checks must have failed badly.
Designating it terrorism seems extreme for an internal cockpit dispute. Wonder if there was prior motive.
Axe attack on a plane? That is genuinely terrifying. Hope the captain recovers fully.