UAE: Flydubai co-pilot planned a suicide attack inspired by September 11

The UAE Attorney General said on Friday that the co-pilot who attacked the captain of a Fly Dubai plane was planning to carry out a suicide attack by shooting down the plane at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.

The UAE Attorney General explained that the Omani co-pilot stated during the investigations that he was inspired by the September 11 attacks in the United States, and that these events were among the motives that prompted him to choose a career in aviation, according to reports.

The results of the investigations showed that the co-pilot, whose name has not yet been revealed, “met the professional and security requirements for employment, including obtaining a pilot’s license, submitting a certificate of good conduct, and passing the necessary checks.”

The results indicated that "none of these procedures revealed any indications that he had adopted extremist ideas or had any intention to carry out a terrorist plan."

The Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported that investigations revealed that the suspect had used two previous flights to Tel Aviv with the aim of "identifying the flight path and the airport."

Public Prosecutor Hamad Saif Al Shamsi explained that the investigations followed the intellectual and professional path of the accused, who is (29) years old, and it was found that signs of his trend towards extremism and terrorism began in 2017, during his period of study in Australia.

Al Shamsi added that the suspect was influenced by takfiri ideas by reading extremist literature and following electronic content that glorified terrorist organizations and suicide operations.

The co-pilot had previously worked for several airlines in different countries, including Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc, before joining Flydubai in January 2026.

In a related context, sources told Reuters that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has opened a separate safety investigation regarding the incident of flight No. FZ1073.

The plane was flying in Saudi airspace when the Omani co-pilot attacked the plane’s captain using an ax reserved for plane crashes, a tool usually kept in the cockpit for use in emergency situations.

The accident, which occurred on September 30, caused the plane to descend sharply and suddenly to a distance of 16,000 feet (4,900 meters) within 30 seconds.