Shea Levin — text status

The United Arab Emirates has officially classified the attempted hijacking of the Israel-bound Flydubai flight as a “dangerous terrorist act,” breaking its silence on the dramatic midair attack. Senior UAE official Dr. Anwar Gargash praised Indian Captain Sumit Machhar as a “true hero” for fighting off the Omani co-pilot despite suffering serious stab wounds. UAE authorities are continuing an intensive investigation into the attacker’s motives, possible outside connections and how he was able to carry out the attack.