Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe, UAE official says

What the report says

BBC World News reports that UAE authorities say a Flydubai co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, in what officials are treating as a possible security and terrorism-related case. The aircraft was carrying more than 170 people when the assault happened about two and a half hours into the journey and after the plane had descended sharply, according to the report.

The captain, Smit Machchhar, was injured in the cockpit but later described how he and the crew responded as passengers helped overpower the attacker. The plane was landed safely. The article says the axe was a standard emergency item kept in the cockpit.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said the investigation is still underway to determine the motive and full circumstances. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacker was an Omani national and suggested he had been radicalized, though the BBC noted that the UAE has only said it is examining whether the incident was linked to terrorist activity. The report adds that Machchhar was treated in hospital and later transferred to Abu Dhabi, where he was said to be recovering well.

The case has drawn attention because it involved an attempted cockpit takeover on a passenger flight, a scenario aviation officials treat as a serious threat. It also raised questions about onboard security, crew response, and how quickly passengers and staff were able to regain control of the aircraft.