Royal Air Maroc's Clarification on Co-Pilot Allegations
In a recent statement, Royal Air Maroc has emphatically denied allegations suggesting that the co-pilot involved in the attempted attack aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv, had any prior affiliation with the Moroccan airline. The airline made this clarification in response to circulating claims that implied a professional relationship between the accused co-pilot and their operations. Royal Air Maroc asserted that the individual in question has never been part of their crew or engaged in any professional duties within the company. Furthermore, they disclosed that while the co-pilot had submitted a job application in 2025, it was ultimately rejected, reaffirming that he never held any employment or contractual ties with the airline.
The incident that prompted this statement involved a violent altercation on the flight, which was carrying 174 passengers when the co-pilot allegedly attempted to execute a “terrorist act.” According to UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, the co-pilot attempted to use a crash axe—a tool typically stored in the cockpit for emergencies—to attack the captain, who is from India, with the objective of seizing control of the aircraft. Despite the gravity of the situation, UAE authorities have yet to reveal the identity or nationality of the accused co-pilot. Eyewitness accounts from passengers describe a chaotic scene where individuals rushed the cockpit in a bid to regain control of the aircraft, which reportedly dropped approximately 17,000 feet in just one minute, as per information from the Flightradar24 tracking service.
In the wake of the incident, Flydubai confirmed that an altercation took place in the flight deck and emphasized that their crew members acted swiftly to secure the aircraft before diverting it safely to Saudi Arabia.
As reported by trtworld.com.
