Fresh details have emerged in the investigation into the alleged cockpit attack on a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, with CNN reporting that social media accounts linked to the co-pilot contained references to Al Qaeda figures.
According to the report, one video associated with the pilot’s account ended with photographs of former Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who carried out the 2009 suicide bombing at a CIA base in Afghanistan that killed nine people, including seven US intelligence personnel.
CNN also reported that another video featured cockpit footage showing a flight number and date on the display. Other clips reportedly showed aircraft operated by Israeli airlines. The accounts have since been deleted.
AI-generated image, poem also found
Investigators also reportedly found a post featuring an AI-generated image depicting Islam’s three holiest sites — Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
A poem accompanying the image contained references to rejecting humiliation, not fearing death and defending one’s dignity.
The findings come as authorities examine the co-pilot’s background and possible motives behind the alleged mid-air attack.
Co-pilot had reportedly been barred in Oman
The Associated Press reported that the co-pilot had previously been prevented from flying in Oman after concerns were raised over alleged extremist views.
A person familiar with the matter told AP that the pilot was later employed by Flydubai in the UAE. The source spoke anonymously because the investigation is ongoing. Questions are now being raised about the extent of the background checks carried out before his recruitment.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the co-pilot as having undergone “Islamist radicalisation”, though AP noted that he has not publicly provided evidence supporting the claim. Netanyahu has also said investigators are examining whether someone else may have directed the attack.
Captain injured as passengers intervene
The incident unfolded aboard a Boeing 737 carrying 182 people, including 174 passengers and eight crew members. During the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the aircraft reportedly dropped sharply to around 16,600 feet before climbing and later descending again. It eventually landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Captain Smit Machchhar was seriously injured during the cockpit confrontation but managed to open the cockpit door, enabling passengers to enter and restrain the co-pilot.
Passengers reportedly used headphones to tie his hands, while a dentist travelling on the aircraft helped treat the injured captain.
Machchhar is recovering at a hospital in Abu Dhabi. During a televised video call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he recalled the ordeal, saying, “I was fighting for my life.” AP reported that the captain became emotional while recounting the incident.
