UAE: Flydubai Pilot Inspired by 9/11 Events, Planned Suicide Attack - Sarmad
Dr. Hamad Saif Al-Shamsi, the UAE’s Public Prosecutor, announced that investigations conducted by the Public Prosecution into the incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, which made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, revealed that the co-pilot, an Omani national, had begun executing a premeditated plot with a terrorist objective aimed at seizing control of 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 loss of life.
The Public Prosecutor clarified that the investigations traced the suspect’s intellectual and professional trajectory, revealing that signs of his drift toward extremism and terrorism emerged in 2017, during his studies in Australia. There, he was influenced by takfiri ideologies through reading extremist literature and following online content that glorified 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 intention to carry out a similar operation using an aircraft. According to his confessions, this resolve was linked to his decision to pursue a career in aviation. The Public Prosecutor added that the suspect worked for several airlines in different countries throughout his professional 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 transferring to Flydubai in January 2026.
According to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the suspect admitted that during his studies in Melbourne, Australia, he frequented a mosque affiliated with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and met the staff of the “My Centre” through his attendance at the mosque. He stated that the center was run by a Lebanese man named “Abu Hamza,” who, according to the suspect, received support from an association linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. The suspect further claimed that he prepared himself mentally and physically for his plot by intensifying his consumption of material inciting terrorism and training in boxing under a private coach.
Investigations showed that the suspect exploited his participation in two previous flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv to scout the flight route and the airport as part of his personal preparation for the terrorist plot, before initiating its execution on 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 requirements, including his pilot’s license, certificate of good conduct, and necessary medical examinations, with no indicators emerging during these procedures that would have revealed his extremist leanings or his intention to carry out a terrorist plot.
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 assault and attempted to call for help.
Also on board was the pilot of the return flight, 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 eventually succeeded, witnessing the suspect attacking the pilot. Immediately, he intervened with the assistance of a cabin crew member and several passengers, managing to rescue the injured pilot and subdue the suspect. The return flight’s pilot and his co-pilot then regained control of the aircraft, diverted its course, and safely landed at Tabuk Airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The defendant, in the presence of his lawyer and with all legally mandated guarantees secured, 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. The Public Prosecution also heard statements from the pilot, the return flight’s pilot and his assistant, and crew members. The forensic report confirmed that the pilot’s injuries were concentrated in the head, a vital and fatal area, and were recent and contemporaneous with the incident, resulting from an assault with an instrument consistent in nature with an emergency axe, aligning with the statements of the defendant, the pilot, and witness testimonies.
WAM reported that the Public Prosecution 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.
