A US newspaper has claimed that the co-pilot of an Emirati flight, who attacked the captain with a knife mid-flight, held extremist views.
According to the US newspaper, Oman had previously banned the pilot from flying due to his extremist ideology.
The newspaper states that the Emirati airline hired the Omani national—who held extremist views—and assigned him to the UAE-Israel route.
According to Arab media, the co-pilot had left Oman after being banned from flying there; before moving to the UAE, the Omani national had traveled to Syria, where he became radicalized.
Background of the incident:
It should be noted that recently, a pilot on an Emirati flight bound for Israel from Dubai attacked and injured the other pilot with a knife.
An attempt was made to seize control of the aircraft and crash it; there were 174 passengers on board, including 169 Israelis. The attacking pilot is currently in the custody of Saudi authorities.
The situation was brought under control when passengers intervened in time and subdued the co-pilot. Subsequently, other off-duty pilots traveling on the flight took control of the aircraft and landed it safely in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Israeli Prime Minister, Saudi authorities have arrested the attacking pilot and initiated an investigation.
Meanwhile, Flydubai has urged people to avoid speculation regarding the incident, clarifying that the full facts have yet to emerge.
