Flydubai's recent Dubai-Tel Aviv flight faced a mid-air emergency when co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, causing a rapid descent. Authorities labeled it a planned terrorist act.

A senior United Arab Emirates official on Friday publicly described the attempted crashing of a Flydubai passenger jet as a “terrorist act” for the first time, as Israel investigates if the Omani co-pilot accused of trying to bring down the aircraft was actin…