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The UAE Attorney General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, announced that ongoing investigations by the Public Prosecution into an incident aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv revealed that the co-pilot, an Omani national, attempted to execute a pre-planned terrorist plot.
​The Attorney General explained that the 29-year-old co-pilot intended to seize control of the aircraft and carry out a suicide attack targeting the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to cause maximum human casualties.
​Investigations into the suspect's background indicated that his radicalization began in 2017 while studying in Australia, where he was exposed to extremist ideology through online content and literature glorifying terrorist organizations and suicide attacks. Inspired by the September 11, 2001 attacks, he pursued a career in aviation specifically to execute a similar operation.
​The suspect’s employment history showed he worked for Oman Air from 2020 to 2024, joined Royal Air Maroc in early 2025 for several months, and subsequently moved to Flydubai in January 2026. Background checks and hiring procedures at Flydubai met all standard professional and security requirements, showing no prior indicators of extremist tendencies.
​The suspect admitted that during his studies in Melbourne, he frequented a local mosque and became involved with a center reportedly linked to extremist networks. He prepared for the operation through physical training and monitoring extremist material, using two previous flights to Tel Aviv to survey the flight path and airport layout before attempting the attack during his third flight on September 30, 2026.
​On the day of the incident, the suspect ambushed the captain inside the cockpit, attacking him with an emergency axe. The return flight captain, who was off-duty near the cockpit, noticed abnormal door movements, entered using the emergency access code, and intervened alongside a crew member and passengers to subdue the assailant.
​The off-duty crew then assumed control of the aircraft, successfully diverting and landing safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. The injured captain received medical attention for head injuries confirmed by forensic reports to be consistent with the assault.
​The suspect provided a detailed confession in the presence of his attorney, stating he acted independently. UAE authorities confirmed that investigations remain ongoing to verify all details, examine technical evidence, and determine whether any accomplices were involved.
​Source: Rum News Agency