The Attorney General of the Federation in the Emirates, Counselor Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, announced that investigations into the incident of Flydubai flight No. (FZ1073) revealed that the plane’s co-pilot attempted to carry out a “terrorist operation” during the flight.
The Emirates News Agency, WAM, said that the plane's co-pilot began implementing his plan during the flight, as he assaulted the plane's pilot inside the cockpit using an emergency axe, and tried to control the plane's controls.
The emergency ax is a tool that is usually kept inside the cockpit for use in emergency situations, including crashes.
The Public Prosecutor confirmed that investigations are still underway to uncover all the circumstances of the incident, its motives, and the connections associated with it, in addition to completing technical examinations and examining physical and digital evidence, with the final results being announced after completing the necessary procedures.
The identity of the assistant raises several questions
Three people familiar with the incident, including a Gulf diplomat and a Western diplomat, said that the co-pilot was of Omani nationality and named Humam Al-Hammami. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
A source with direct knowledge of the matter also confirmed to Reuters that the co-pilot was named Humam Al-Hammami, an Omani, while the UAE authorities did not respond to a request to confirm his identity.
The Gulf diplomat said that investigations are underway to determine whether the Omani pilot acted as a “lone wolf” or had links to extremist groups.
The flight survived a disaster over Saudi Arabia
The incident occurred on Light Day, while the Flydubai flight was heading from Dubai to Tel Aviv, carrying more than 170 passengers and crew members, while sources reported that the number reached 182 people.
Passengers and crew members were able to control the co-pilot, before a reserve Flydubai pilot who was on board the flight took control of the plane and landed it at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where the Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot.
Flight tracking data from Flight Radar24 showed that the plane descended approximately 16,625 feet in just over 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia on its flight from the Emirates to Israel.
An Emirati investigation with expected Israeli participation
An Israeli government official previously told Reuters that Israeli investigators will participate alongside Emirati authorities in the UAE-led investigation, which will address what happened and the suspect's motives and background.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel was investigating whether the co-pilot had acted under the direction of any party, warning that anyone proven to be involved in the matter would pay a “heavy price.”
Netanyahu said Thursday that the co-pilot, whom he described as an Omani national, had undergone a process of "indoctrination into extremist Islamic ideas" and appeared to have a suicidal tendency, but he added that the motive had not yet been determined. Most of the passengers on the plane were Israelis.
A previous ban on flying and employment in the Emirates
An informed source said that the co-pilot, who officials said almost caused the flight to crash, was banned from flying in the Sultanate of Oman due to fears that he might embrace extremist ideas.
The source added that the co-pilot was then hired by the Emirati company Flydubai, while it was not immediately clear the extent of the scrutiny he was subjected to upon hiring.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the news that he was banned from flying in Oman, according to what was stated in the clippings.
Flydubai remains silent pending the investigation
A Flydubai spokesman said that the circumstances of the incident are still under investigation, and that the company cannot comment further at this time.
The UAE Attorney General's description of the incident as an attempt to carry out a "terrorist operation" represents the first official comment from the UAE authorities with this classification, while the relevant authorities continue to examine the evidence, circumstances, motives and connections related to the incident.
