Dubai: The attempted takeover of a Flydubai aircraft last week has renewed attention on how aviation security has changed since the September 11, 2001 attacks and how airlines continue to deal with threats from both outside and inside the cockpit.
Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when an incident involving the co pilot occurred inside the cockpit. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia and landed safely. Saudi authorities said 174 passengers and eight crew members were on board. All passengers and crew survived, although some crew members were injured.
The UAE Attorney General later said the co pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist act, attacked the captain with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft. The investigation is continuing, with authorities examining technical, physical and digital evidence.
The incident has drawn attention to a different challenge in aviation security. Modern aircraft have reinforced cockpit doors designed to prevent unauthorised people from entering. In this case, however, the person accused of attacking the captain was a member of the flight crew with authorised access to the cockpit.
The incident comes 25 years after the September 11 attacks, which fundamentally changed aviation security around the world. On September 11, 2001, four passenger aircraft were hijacked in the United States. Two were flown into the World Trade Center in New York, one struck the Pentagon and another crashed in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed.
The attacks led to major changes in aviation security. Airlines and governments introduced stronger cockpit doors, tighter access controls and additional security measures. The aim was to prevent hijackers from gaining control of aircraft after boarding.
Another major change followed an attempted attack in December 2001. British national Richard Reid tried to detonate explosives hidden in his shoes while travelling on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami. Passengers and crew members restrained him and the aircraft landed safely.
The attempted attack resulted in increased attention to footwear during airport screening in the United States. Passengers were required to remove their shoes during security checks for many years. The nationwide requirement ended in July 2025 as airport screening technology developed, although passengers and their footwear continue to be subject to security screening.
Two major accidents later highlighted a different problem involving people already inside the cockpit.
LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 crashed in Namibia on November 29, 2013, killing all 33 people on board. The investigation concluded that the captain deliberately manipulated the aircraft's systems after the co pilot left the cockpit. The crash prompted recommendations aimed at reducing the risks associated with a single pilot being left alone in control of an aircraft.
The issue became even more prominent after Germanwings Flight 9525 crashed in France on March 24, 2015. All 150 people on board were killed. Investigators concluded that co pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately caused the crash after locking the captain out of the cockpit.
The Germanwings crash led to renewed attention on pilot mental health and cockpit access. European authorities subsequently developed measures including psychological assessments before pilots begin line flying, pilot support programmes and additional testing for psychoactive substances.
A temporary recommendation was also introduced requiring at least two authorised people to remain in the cockpit. European authorities later moved towards a more flexible, risk based approach rather than maintaining a single rule for all airlines.
Cockpit security continues to evolve. In the United States, requirements for physical secondary barriers on certain newly manufactured commercial aircraft are designed to provide an additional layer of protection when the main cockpit door has to be opened.
The latest Flydubai incident shows why such measures remain important. The main security concern is no longer limited to an outsider attempting to enter the cockpit. Authorities and airlines must also consider the possibility of a threat involving someone who already has legitimate access.
At the same time, aviation safety has changed in many other areas since 2001. Major accidents and incidents involving aircraft tracking, conflict zones, pilot training, aircraft design and certification have also led to changes in international aviation practices.
The history of the past 25 years shows that aviation security is not a finished process. Each serious incident can expose a different weakness, leading governments, regulators and airlines to reconsider existing safeguards.
The Flydubai investigation is still under way, and important questions about the motive behind the incident and whether there were any failures in security or pilot screening remain to be answered. For now, the safe landing of Flight FZ1073 has meant that all passengers and crew survived, while the investigation is expected to provide further information about how the incident occurred.