US President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested that the Omani co-pilot, who allegedly planned to down the flydubai flight, may have had connections with Iran.
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Asked by reporters whether the co-pilot had links to Iran, Trump said, “From what I’m hearing, I would say the answer is yes, but we’re working on it right now.”
Trump’s remarks came a day after a flydubai flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an altercation between the two pilots.
The flight, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk after the incident in the cockpit.
Captain Smit Machchhar was stabbed by his Omani co-pilot during a fight in the cockpit, but fought back and was severely injured.
Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew members to intervene. The aircraft subsequently diverted and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The captain was taken to a hospital in Tabuk.
An Israeli official told the Associated Press that a fight broke out between the pilots and that one of them was armed with an axe. Reuters reported that the co-pilot was believed to have stabbed the captain before cabin crew members entered the cockpit.
