Absolute safety': Airline chiefs struggle with rogue pilot threat after flydubai attack

Airline leaders said safety standards remain high after a flydubai co-pilot allegedly tried to crash a jet by attacking the captain with an axe last week, but they acknowledged limits in preventing deliberate acts by someone at the controls. The aircraft plunged about 16,000 feet in 30 seconds before passengers overpowered the attacker after the injured captain opened the cockpit door. A standby crew member helped manage the landing. Speaking at an Airlines for Europe (A4E) event in Brussels, Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary said it is “very difficult to legislate” against a “mad person” in the cockpit. Reuters reported that the co-pilot told interrogators he planned the attack before joining the Dubai state-owned airline. Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr echoed that “no absolute safety” exists, citing mental health screening as robust while still not guaranteeing prevention.