Royal Air Maroc denies Flydubai co-pilot ever worked for airline

RABAT — Royal Air Maroc on Saturday denied claims that the Flydubai co-pilot accused of attempting a “terrorist act” aboard flight FZ1073 had previously worked for the Moroccan airline.The carrier issued the clarification after claims circulated alleging a professional relationship between the co-pilot and Royal Air Maroc.The man “has never worked as part of its crews or performed any professional duties within the company,” the airline said.Royal Air Maroc said the individual applied for a job with the company in 2025, but his application was rejected. It stressed that he never had an employment or contractual relationship with the airline.The clarification comes after a UAE investigation into Wednesday’s violent incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, carrying 174 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv, found that the co-pilot attempted to carry out what authorities described as a “terrorist act.”UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al-Shamsi said the co-pilot attempted to attack the captain with a crash axe — an emergency tool kept in the cockpit — and seize control of the aircraft.UAE authorities have yet to publicly identify the co-pilot or disclose his nationality.Flydubai previously said that “an altercation occurred in the flight deck” and that crew members secured the aircraft before it was safely diverted to Saudi Arabia.