Retired Pilot Warns Terror Cells Could Operate Within Foreign Airlines

A retired Delta Air Lines pilot, Buzz Patterson, warned that extremist “terror cells” could potentially exist within foreign airlines, calling for the Justice Department to examine the risk closely. Patterson made the comments after allegations involving a FlyDubai flight from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv, where a copilot was accused of assaulting the captain, prompting a Boeing 737 diversion and an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The aircraft carried 174 passengers and eight crew members. Investigators are looking at motive, including possible terrorism and mental health issues. Patterson said airlines may struggle to detect radicalization if a pilot keeps views private and noted safeguards often rely on employees reporting concerns. He also described the cockpit crash ax—stored behind the copilot’s seat—as potentially relevant to the alleged incident.