Vice President Vance questioned allowing a radicalized co-pilot to fly.
The FlyDubai flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia following a cockpit assault.
US officials are examining potential Iranian involvement in the incident.
"Should Not Have Been Flying": JD Vance On Co-Pilot Accused In Flydubai Cockpit Assault
Vice President JD Vance said that the Omani Co-Pilot who was involved in the Flydubai incident shouldn't have been flying, as he was previously scrutinised
Summary
American Vice President JD Vance has raised questions over why and how the Omani co-pilot accused of allegedly attacking the captain of a FlyDubai flight was allowed to return to the flight even though there were previous concerns related to him.
Before leaving for Alaska, Vance told reporters on Monday, "The interesting thing about that story is we knew that guy was a problem, meaning not United States intelligence, but if you look historically, that person should not have been flying an airline."
He clarified the involvement of Iran in the case by saying, “In terms of involvement with Iran, that’s something I defer to (CIA Chief) John Ratcliffe and some of the intelligence folks on,”.
He further added, “I don’t want to get ahead of any announcements there. It’s certainly something we’re looking at, but I wouldn’t say I’ve seen anything conclusive just yet.” American President Donald Trump on Monday said that he “personally” believes that Iran was behind the September 30 flydubai incident.
Omani authorities scrutinised the 29-year-old who was previously at Oman Air from flying after reviewing his online activity and deciding that his interest in radical ideology made him unsuitable for the role, according to The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper reported that he later went through a deradicalisation programme and was shifted to a desk job.
The FlyDubai Incident
Earlier, a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv took off from Dubai Airport on September 30. The flight had to be diverted to Saudi Arabia after a brawl inside the cockpit left its captain injured and the aircraft made a rapid descent.
Flight FZ1073 was carrying 174 people and 8 crew members; it eventually landed at Tabuk.
The plane lost nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds during the incident, according to Reuters. At 05:28, near the Saudi-Jordanian border, the aircraft began broadcasting 7700, the emergency code. Seven minutes later, it changed to squawk 7500, the transponder code for unlawful interference.
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Notably, Saudi authorities have arrested the co-pilot after the aircraft landed in Tabuk. However, the exact reason and motive behind the incident are part of the ongoing investigation by the UAE authorities.
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