Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Royal Air Maroc Denies Ties to Flydubai Co-Pilot in Axe Attack


(MENAFN) Royal Air Maroc on Saturday rejected claims that the Flydubai co-pilot accused of attempting an attack aboard flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was ever on its payroll.

The Moroccan carrier released its statement after allegations circulated online linking the co-pilot to the airline. The statement said the man “has never worked as part of its crews or performed any professional duties within the company,” and that he applied for a job in 2025 but was turned down. Royal Air Maroc added that he never held an employment or contractual relationship with the company.

The denial comes as UAE investigators examine Wednesday's violent incident aboard the flight, which carried 174 passengers. The probe found that the co-pilot tried to carry out a “terrorist act,” according to Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi.

Al-Shamsi said the co-pilot went after the captain with a crash axe, a tool kept in the cockpit for emergencies, in an attempt to seize control of the aircraft.

UAE authorities have not yet disclosed the co-pilot's name or nationality.

Flydubai said earlier that "an altercation occurred in the flight deck" and that crew members secured the aircraft before it was safely diverted to Saudi Arabia.

MENAFN04102026000045017169ID1111756830



MENAFN

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.



More Story