A 29-year-old Omani co-pilot employed by flydubai intended to seize a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight and crash it into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport, according to findings announced by the UAE’s Attorney-General, Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi. Prosecutors say the plan was modelled on the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, and that investigators had uncovered a premeditated plot.
The attack took place on September 30 aboard flight FZ1073. Prosecutors say the co-pilot struck the captain with an emergency axe inside the cockpit, causing serious head injuries that a forensic examination found could have been fatal. The aircraft, which had been heading for Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Flight-tracking data cited by Reuters reportedly showed the jet losing about 16,000 feet in 30 seconds during the struggle. Disaster was averted by a pilot who was travelling on board because he had been assigned to operate the return flight. He noticed the cockpit door opening and closing in an unusual way, entered using an access code and, with help from a cabin crew member and several passengers, stepped in. Two pilots then took back control of the aircraft and steered it towards Tabuk, bringing the flight down safely on Saudi soil.
Investigators say they can trace the suspect’s radicalisation to 2017, when he was a student in Australia and is said to have consumed extremist material and developed a fascination with the 9/11 attacks. In his confession, he linked that interest to his choice of career. He flew for Oman Air from 2020 to 2024, worked with Royal Air Maroc for several months in 2025 and joined flydubai in January 2026. Prosecutors say he took two earlier flights to Tel Aviv to learn the route and the airport, and also trained in private boxing sessions.
Flydubai’s recruitment checks showed he held a valid pilot’s licence and a certificate of good conduct, and none of the required screening flagged signs of extremism. Prosecutors said their findings did not point to any wrongdoing by the airline. The co-pilot confessed with his lawyer present and maintains that he acted alone, a claim investigators are still testing as they examine whether anyone else took part or knew of the plan. The Public Prosecution is continuing to review technical evidence, recordings and witness statements before the case moves forward.
