Australian authorities are investigating the "links to Australia" of a Flydubai co-pilot who attacked the captain of a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight, according to reports.
UAE investigators said Saturday the co-pilot wielded a crash axe during the incident and attempted to carry out a "terrorist attack." A crash axe is typically stored in the cockpit for use in emergencies.
The suspect is reported to be an Omani national, according to sources familiar with the matter. He has not been publicly named.
There were 182 people on board Flight 1073, including four pilots. After the co-pilot attacked the captain in an apparent attempt to crash the aircraft, two other pilots in the cabin took control and landed the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Multiple sources report that the co-pilot had been barred from flying by Oman over concerns that he had adopted radical ideological views. According to reports, he was removed from a position at Oman's national airline last year over those concerns.
Despite the ban, the co-pilot was hired by Flydubai and allowed to operate on a sensitive route connecting the UAE and Israel. It could not be determined whether Oman shared its concerns about the co-pilot's radicalization with other countries or airlines. The nature of his radicalization was also not made clear.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement that the co-pilot "underwent Islamist radical indoctrination" and intended to crash the aircraft. Netanyahu added that investigators were looking into whether the co-pilot had acted under anyone's direction, warning that those involved would pay a "heavy price."
Anwar Gargash, an Emirati presidential adviser, referenced the incident on social media, saying the latest "terrorist operation" showed the region's "fight against extremism continues."
A Gulf diplomat said authorities were working to determine whether the co-pilot was a "lone wolf or has any connection with any extremist groups." The investigation is ongoing.
Israel and the UAE normalized relations under the Abraham Accords in 2020. The attack has raised questions about background checks in aviation hiring.
