Flydubai passenger suspects crew members aided hijacker, calls for probe

Key Points:

• Passenger Asaf Rajuan, who helped overpower the co-pilot accused of trying to crash a flydubai flight, has called for investigations into two flight attendants and the two additional pilots onboard, suspecting possible assistance to the attacker.
• The September 30 flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia after the co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe; the UAE credited a flight attendant with helping subdue the attacker, who confessed to acting alone.
• Rajuan described confrontations with flight attendants during and after the attack, including suspicions that one attendant loosened the attacker’s restraints and attempts to stop passengers from filming, though he has no proof of their cooperation.
• There were four pilots on board, including two additional pilots traveling in the cabin as a staffing precaution; these relief pilots eventually took control and landed the plane, but Rajuan wants their full accounts and questioning of the attendants’ behavior.
• The situation onboard created confusion and fear among passengers about the flight’s destination and ongoing safety, leading Rajuan to request Israeli involvement in the investigation to clarify events and crew conduct.