UAE: Flydubai co-pilot plotted to hijack plane and carry out suicide attack
The UAE Public Prosecutor’s Office, represented by Advisor Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, announced on Friday that investigations into the incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, which departed from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026, revealed that the co-pilot, an Omani national, initiated the execution of a premeditated terrorist plot aimed at hijacking the aircraft and using it in a suicide attack targeting the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, with the intent of causing maximum human casualties.
According to the UAE News Agency (WAM), the Public Prosecutor’s Office detailed that investigations traced the suspect’s intellectual and professional trajectory, revealing that signs of his radicalization and extremist tendencies began in 2017 during his studies in Australia. There, he was influenced by takfiri ideologies through reading extremist literature and following online content glorifying terrorist organizations and suicide operations. This influence evolved into his adoption of ideas inciting violence and terrorism, drawing inspiration from the September 11, 2001 attacks, and solidifying his resolve to carry out a similar operation using an aircraft—a goal he linked to his career choice in aviation.
Dr. Al Shamsi added that the suspect, aged 29, worked for several airlines in different countries throughout his career. He was employed by Oman Air from 2020 to 2024, then joined Royal Air Maroc in early 2025, working there for several months before joining Flydubai in January 2026.
The suspect admitted that during his studies in Melbourne, Australia, he frequented a mosque affiliated with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). Through this mosque, he became acquainted with the staff of the “My Centre” center, which he stated was managed by a Lebanese man named “Abu Hamza” and supported by an association linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. He further stated that he prepared himself psychologically and physically for his plot by intensifying his consumption of terrorist propaganda and training in boxing under a private coach.
Investigations showed that the suspect exploited his participation in two previous flights to Tel Aviv to scout the flight route and the airport as part of his personal preparation for the terrorist plot, before executing it during the third flight on September 30, 2026.
The investigations also examined the procedures for the suspect’s recruitment by Flydubai, confirming that he met all professional and security employment requirements, including his pilot license, certificate of good conduct, and necessary medical examinations. No indicators revealing his extremist tendencies or intent to carry out a terrorist plot emerged during these procedures.
On the day of the incident, the suspect ambushed the pilot inside the cockpit and attacked him with an emergency axe. The pilot resisted the attack and attempted to call for help. Also on board was the return flight captain, who happened to be near the cockpit at the time of the attack. He noticed the unusual repeated opening and closing of the cockpit door, which aroused his suspicion. He approached the door, attempted to enter using the access code, and succeeded, witnessing the suspect attacking the pilot. He immediately intervened, assisted by a flight attendant and several passengers, and managed to rescue the injured pilot and subdue the suspect. The return flight captain and his deputy then regained control of the aircraft, diverted its course, and safely landed it at Tabuk Airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The defendant, in the presence of his lawyer and with all legally mandated guarantees in place, provided a detailed confession outlining his motives and the stages of planning and execution, admitting that he acted alone without the involvement of others, while investigations continue to verify this claim. The Public Prosecution in the United Arab Emirates also heard statements from the aircraft captain, the pilot of the return flight, his assistant, and crew members. The forensic report confirmed that the captain’s injuries were concentrated in the head, a vital and lethal area, and were recent and contemporaneous with the incident, resulting from an assault with an instrument consistent in nature with the emergency axe, aligning with the statements of the defendant, the aircraft captain, and witness testimonies. The Public Prosecution in the UAE continues to examine evidence and verify the existence of accomplices or other connections, and to complete recordings and technical reports, announcing any new developments as required by the interests of the investigation.
