Flydubai cockpit stabbing renews debate over flight security safeguards
Passengers and crew on flydubai flight FZ 1073 intervened after a co-pilot stabbed the captain and apparently tried to crash the plane. The captain survived and the aircraft landed safely; the incident has renewed debate about cockpit doors that pilots can lock against people outside, including other crew.
Experts say the system was designed to protect against hijackers, but could leave passengers vulnerable if a pilot inside the cockpit becomes a threat. Germanwings flight 4U9525, in which a locked-out captain could not stop a co-pilot from crashing the plane in 2015, is a prominent example. The motive in the flydubai attack is unknown; Israel is increasing pilot background screening, flydubai has cancelled further Tel Aviv flights, and British ministers say they will review flight safety.
- Passengers and crew helped stop a suspected attempt to crash a flydubai flight.
- The attack has renewed scrutiny of cockpit door controls.
- The co-pilot’s motive remains unknown.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Should cockpits stay locked from the inside? Flydubai stabbing raises flight security questions”.