UAE Prosecutor General Hamad al-Shamsi released details of the confession of the Flydubai co-pilot, who is accused of attempting a terrorist attack.
As reported by the Emirati news agency WAM, citing the Prosecutor General, the accused admitted that while studying in the Australian city of Melbourne, he often visited a mosque associated with the Royal Institute of Technology (RMIT), and through these visits he met people from the My Center circle.
“He indicated that the circle was led by a Lebanese man named Abu Hamza, who, according to him, enjoyed the support of an organization associated with the Muslim Brotherhood group (recognized as terrorist in the Russian Federation). He added that he prepared himself mentally and physically to carry out his plan by intensifying his study of materials inciting terrorism and training in boxing under the guidance of a private trainer,” the attorney general’s statement said.
According to the report, the investigation revealed that the defendant used his participation on two previous flights to Tel Aviv to conduct route and airport reconnaissance as part of personal preparation for his terrorist plot, which he attempted to carry out on a third flight on September 30, 2026.
The investigation also reviewed the accused's hiring procedures at Flydubai, which found that he "met all professional and safety requirements, including a pilot's license, a police clearance certificate and the required medical examinations." During these procedures, no signs of extremist tendencies or intent to carry out a terrorist plot were found, the agency said.
According to the report, on the day of the incident, the accused attacked the pilot in the cockpit with a crash axe. The pilot resisted and tried to call for help. The captain of the return flight, who happened to be near the cabin at the time of the attack, noticed that the cabin door was opening and closing several times in an unusual manner, which aroused his suspicion. He walked up to the door and tried to enter using the passcode, eventually succeeding. He then witnessed the accused attacking the pilot and immediately intervened with the help of a flight attendant and several passengers. They managed to rescue the wounded pilot and neutralize the accused. The captain of the return flight and his co-pilot took control of the aircraft, changed course and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
According to the agency, the accused, in the presence of his lawyer and with all the legal guarantees provided to him, gave a detailed confession, outlining his motives, stages of planning and carrying out the crime, admitting that he acted alone, without the participation of other persons.
