October 3, 2026
Abu Dhabi – The UAE Attorney General, Counselor Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, announced on Saturday that investigations into the incident of Flydubai flight No. (FZ1073) revealed that the plane’s co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist operation inside the cockpit.
Al Shamsi explained that the accused assaulted the pilot of the plane using an “emergency axe” in an attempt to control the controls, noting that investigations are still underway to uncover all the circumstances of the incident, determine its motives and the parties associated with it, in addition to completing the technical examinations and analyzing the physical and digital evidence, with the final results being announced immediately upon completion of the procedures.
The details of the incident go back to last Wednesday, during the plane’s flight from Dubai International Airport to Tel Aviv, when an argument occurred inside the cockpit that required the intervention of the plane’s crew members to secure it, which led to its diversion and landing safely at Tabuk Airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In light of the incident, the Public Prosecutor had previously issued directives to form a specialized investigation team of members of the Public Prosecution, in cooperation and coordination with the General Authority of Civil Aviation and the relevant authorities in the country, according to the Emirates News Agency, WAM. The team began its tasks to collect information and evidence, determine the circumstances of the incident, its circumstances and motives, and verify the existence of any prior planning or connection to terrorist activities.
