FlyDubai Co-Pilot Used Crash Ax in Attack, Says U.A.E.

The UAE said on Saturday that the co-pilot of a FlyDubai flight bound for Israel used a crash axe to attack the captain and try to take control of the aircraft. The statement made by the United Arab Emirates frames the incident as an attempt to seize command during the flight. An Emirati attorney general also suggested the attacker likely did not need to smuggle a weapon onboard, implying the axe was already available in the cockpit for emergency use. Details about the broader investigation—such as motives or connections to extremist groups—were not included in the brief account, but the allegation centers on cockpit violence involving the crash axe.