An aviation expert has called for pilotless planes after an attempted hijacking this week. Lewis Page, a former Royal Navy officer who now writes for The Telegraph, argued that flights without pilots are safer and should become more widespread across the aviation industry.
Attack on Flydubai flight 1073
One of the pilots on Flydubai flight 1073 was attacked by his co-pilot on the morning of September 30. Indian national Smit Machchhar, who has clocked nearly 10,000 hours in the air, was stabbed by his first officer as he tried to take control of the flight going from the UAE to Tel Aviv, Israel.
The plane, which was carrying more than 150 passengers, plunged 18,000 feet. Mr Machchhar was stabbed several times during the attack, but reportedly managed to alert the Boeing 737 Max 8 plane's crew and passengers, who intervened. The aircraft had transmitted an emergency code indicating a possible unlawful disruption, sparking fears that it had been hijacked.
Expert argues for pilotless aircraft
In his analysis, Page referred to a number of plane crashes that were caused or possibly caused by pilots or hijackers, such as pilot Andreas Lubitz, who succeeded in crashing Germanwings 9525 in 2015, as well as the events of 9/11.
"In general, it would seem that having no pilots aboard would make airliners much safer," he argued. He said that the technology for pilotless planes has been available for some time, and that it is "perfectly capable" of taking off, flying and landing without "any human input".
Investigations underway
An official told local media that the pilot who carried out the attack "tried to do 9/11". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that investigations suggest the man who stabbed his fellow pilot had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination". He told Fox News that it was looking "very likely" that the attacker, who he said was an Omani national, was going to bring down the plane.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) state news agency says that investigations have begun to determine "whether the incident was linked to any terrorist activity or purpose".
