The co pilot of the Flydubai plane, 29-year-old Hamam Al-Hammami, apprently struck the Indian captain with an emergency axe, and attempted to seize control of the aircraft.
Two years before this recent incident, he was suspended from flying due to extremist views.
The incident on flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, has been classified as a terrorist act, according to the Attorney General of the UAE.
In 2024, he was apparently suspended from flying in Oman due to worries about his "radical views". During his internship at Oman Air, "extremist material" wasp also found in his possession. After his suspension, Al-Hammami moved to Dubai, and Flydubai did not verify information with Oman Air before hiring him.
Al-Hammami has been detained and is "cooperating" with the investigation. The man stated that he intended to crash the plane in Israel.