Brussels, October 9 – Airline chiefs say the industry cannot fully guard against rogue pilots after the flydubai attack, while insisting aviation safety standards remain high. Last week, a flydubai co-pilot attacked the captain with an axe in an alleged attempt to crash the aircraft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates. The jet plunged 16,000 feet in 30 seconds before the injured captain opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers to overpower the co-pilot. A passenger helped stabilise the plane, and a standby crew member on board landed it safely after the diversion.
Ryanair Group Chief Executive Michael O’Leary told reporters at an Airlines for Europe press conference in Brussels that it is very difficult to legislate for a mad person in the cockpit. Lufthansa Chief Executive Carsten Spohr said it remains impossible to prevent every incident and that aviation safety standards stay high. He noted the last comparable case occurred more than a decade ago, when a Germanwings co-pilot deliberately flew an Airbus A320 into the French Alps in 2015, killing 150 people.
Spohr added that there is no absolute safety and security in this industry and that mental health screening of pilots is already robust. Officials familiar with the investigation said the flydubai co-pilot told interrogators in the UAE, where he remains in custody, that he planned the attack before joining the Dubai state-owned airline. The UAE has not announced any formal charges against him.
Saudi Arabia has opened an air accident investigation into the flydubai incident while experts assess implications for cockpit security and airline safety alongside a separate UAE-led criminal probe. Airline executives stressed that existing pilot screening and aviation security measures continue to protect passengers despite the rare threat posed by rogue pilots.