UAE Attorney General: Flydubai co-pilot prepared a plot to carry out a suicide attack at Ben Gurion Airport
Amman4 min read
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UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi announced that investigations conducted by the Public Prosecution regarding the incident on the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv revealed that the co-pilot, an Omani national, had initiated a pre-planned terrorist plot.
He explained that the co-pilot aimed to seize control of the aircraft and use it to carry out a suicide attack targeting the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, with the intent of causing the greatest possible loss of human life.
He noted that investigations traced the intellectual and professional path of the 29-year-old suspect, revealing that signs of his radicalization began in 2017 during his studies in Australia, where he was influenced by extremist ideologies through reading radical literature and following online content that glorified terrorist organizations and suicide operations.
This influence evolved into the adoption of ideas inciting violence and terrorism, inspired by the September 11, 2001 attacks, and the fixation on carrying out a similar operation using an aircraft, which, according to his confessions, was linked to his pursuit of a career in aviation.
He added that the suspect moved between several airlines in different countries during his career, working for Oman Air from 2020 to 2024, then joining Royal Air Maroc in early 2025 for several months, before moving to 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 and met the organizers of the "My Centre" through his visits. He indicated that the center was managed by a Lebanese individual named "Abu Hamza" and, according to his statements, received support from an association linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. He prepared himself psychologically and physically for his plan by intensifying his consumption of material inciting terrorism and training in boxing with a private coach.
Investigations showed that the suspect exploited his participation in two previous flights to Tel Aviv to scout the flight path and the airport as part of his personal preparation for the terrorist plot, before attempting to execute it during the third flight on September 30, 2026.
The investigations also included a review of the suspect's hiring procedures at Flydubai, which showed that he met all professional and security employment requirements, including his pilot's license, certificate of good conduct, and necessary medical screenings, with no indicators of his extremist tendencies or intent to carry out a terrorist plot appearing during those procedures.
On the day of the incident, the suspect surprised the captain inside the cockpit and attacked him with an emergency axe, while the captain resisted the assault and attempted to call for help. The captain of the return flight, who happened to be near the cockpit at the time of the attack, noticed the cockpit door opening and closing unusually, which aroused his suspicion. He approached the cockpit and attempted to enter using the security code, eventually succeeding, where he witnessed the suspect attacking the captain. He immediately intervened with the help of a flight attendant and several passengers, managing to rescue the injured captain and subdue the suspect. Meanwhile, the return flight captain and his co-pilot regained control of the aircraft, diverted its path, and landed it safely at Tabuk Airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The suspect, in the presence of his lawyer and with all legal guarantees provided, gave a detailed confession regarding his motives and the stages of planning and execution, claiming he acted alone without the participation of others, while investigations are still ongoing to verify this.
The Public Prosecution also heard the testimonies of the captain, the return flight pilot and his co-pilot, and the crew members. The forensic report confirmed that the captain's injuries were concentrated on the head, a vital and lethal area, and that they were recent and consistent with the incident, resulting from an assault with an object consistent with the nature of an emergency axe, aligning with the statements of the suspect, the captain, and witnesses.
The UAE Public Prosecution continues to examine evidence, verify the existence of accomplices or other links, and complete recordings and technical reports, with further findings to be announced as required by the interest of the investigation.
