flydubai pilot alleged to have planned earlier Tel Aviv hijack

A source briefed on the UAE investigation said the flydubai first officer suspected of attacking his captain and trying to bring down an aircraft had intended to hijack and crash an earlier flight to Tel Aviv. He decided against it because he knew someone on board, the source said.

Two Israeli officials said the pilot had planned the attack before joining the airline and had looked for carriers that fly to Tel Aviv.

The flight at the centre of the case was a Boeing 737 MAX 8 bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv. It diverted to Saudi Arabia after transmitting emergency transponder codes, one of which signals unlawful interference with an aircraft.

The first officer attacked the captain with an axe kept in the cockpit for emergency use, according to the account. The captain was stabbed but managed to open the cockpit door, letting passengers reach the flight deck and restrain the attacker. Another flydubai pilot on board took control after the aircraft descended more than 14,000 ft in roughly 30 seconds.

UAE authorities are treating the incident as a terrorist attack. They have not publicly named the co-pilot or confirmed his nationality, though sources familiar with the investigation have said he is Omani. On October 3, authorities said the co-pilot began executing his plan during the flight, attacking the captain with a crash axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft.