According to investigators, Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack

According to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the foiled crash of a Flydubai passenger plane on the way to Tel Aviv at the end of September was planned as a suicide attack.

The co-pilot from Oman intended to steer the plane into a terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said, according to the WAM news agency. The plan was inspired by the attacks in the USA on September 11, 2001. His goal was to kill as many people as possible.

Investigations further revealed that the co-pilot had prepared the crash in detail. It was said that he used two previous flights to Tel Aviv to familiarize himself with the flight route and the airport. The co-pilot stated that he had acted alone, explained Prosecutor General al-Shamsi. According to the man, no other people were involved. This should be checked.

Safety check harmless

Before starting his job at Flydubai, he went through all security checks, al-Shamsi explained. He met the “professional and safety-related requirements”. A pilot's license and a certificate of good conduct were also present. There was no “evidence of his extremist views or his intention to carry out a terrorist attack,” the attorney general said.

Several media outlets have reported in recent days that the co-pilot was no longer allowed to fly in Oman due to extremist views. According to US broadcaster CNN, the man lost his job at Oman Air, Oman's national airline, last year due to concerns about extremist views. He then applied unsuccessfully to the airline Emirates and finally went to Flydubai.

Plane sank 4,300 meters in 30 descents

The co-pilot of the airliner attacked and injured the Indian captain of the plane with a knife on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv in the middle of last week. The jet then plunged almost 4,300 meters in 30 seconds. Despite the serious injuries, the captain was reportedly able to unlock the cockpit door. Passengers and crew members then forced their way in and overpowered the attacker.

A second pair of pilots who happened to be on board then landed the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. There were 174 people on board, mostly Israelis. Both pilots were taken to hospital. In response to the incident, Israel wants to tighten controls on foreign pilots.