Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe, UAE official says

The flydubai co-pilot tried to carry out a terrorist attack during a Tel Aviv-bound flight that nearly crashed, the United Arab Emirates has said.

Probe ⁠under way to ​determine 'all the ⁠circumstances', including motive, UAE's prosecutor general says.

It's the first time that Emirati authorities have characterised the incident as an attempted "terrorist attack".

The FlyDubai co-pilot who nearly crashed the Tel-Aviv bound flight is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami. He was barred from flying by Oman amid concerns he showed signs of extremist views. The incident threw the already hard-hit regional travel industry into crisis.

The man accused of trying to take over the Israel-bound jet is named as Hamam al-Hammami by several media outlets.