The co-pilot who is said to have injured the pilot of the Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv was planning a “terrorist attack”, according to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to the Attorney General of the United Arab Emirates, who is leading the investigation, the co-pilot attacked the captain with the emergency ax from the cockpit and tried to take control of the plane.
Airlines are usually required to carry emergency axes in the cockpit. These can be used to break a window in an emergency or to open panels to get to the source of a fire. The axes are located in the cockpit and are accessible to the crew, but not to passengers.
US media had previously reported that the man had been fired from his previous job at an airline in Oman due to safety concerns. ABC News reports - based on senior intelligence and law enforcement officials - that the man was suspended from Oman Air after being deemed a security risk.
According to information from the US broadcaster, the suspected attacker from Oman was found to have extremist material when he was employed by the airline as a co-pilot candidate in 2024. Accordingly, he was initially allowed to continue working in an administrative position before he was finally terminated. CNN reports similar findings, citing people familiar with the case.
The Wall Street Journal also writes, citing informed circles, that the man was temporarily banned from flying in Oman. The background was fears that he represented radical ideological views. According to reports, after leaving Oman Air, the co-pilot initially worked briefly for a Moroccan airline before moving to Flydubai around eight months ago.
How he managed to do this is now one of the investigators' central questions. So far, neither Flydubai nor Oman have commented.
International media are now reporting extensively on the suspect. This is said to be a 29-year-old with Omani nationality, but who also has a United Arab Emirates passport. His father comes from Oman, while his mother comes from Syria.
According to CNN and the “Bild” newspaper, a LinkedIn profile attributed to the suspect has now been deleted. Two videos were published there hours after the incident. One ended with pictures of the former al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and the Jordanian suicide bomber Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi.
Another video showed Islam's three holiest cities, Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. An Islamic poem was also heard that called on people to reject humiliation, not to fear death and to defend their own dignity. It is still unclear who published the posts and whether they actually came from the suspect.
According to ABC News, investigators are currently trying to find out how he was able to switch to Flydubai and operate on an Israel connection. According to the broadcaster, the co-pilot, who has now been taken to the United Arab Emirates and arrested, is cooperating with the investigative authorities. He indicated he intended to crash the plane in Israel, ABC News reported, citing sources familiar with the investigation. This information cannot yet be confirmed independently.
In addition, a diplomat from the Gulf region said that investigators were continuing to check whether it was a “lone perpetrator” or whether there were connections to extremist groups. The Israeli government is already assuming a jihadist-motivated terrorist attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization.” The government has not yet provided any evidence of this.
The Emirati company's flight was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when the co-pilot allegedly attacked his colleague. According to his own statements, the captain managed to unlock the cockpit door despite serious injuries and is celebrated internationally as a hero. Several passengers then forced their way into the cockpit and overpowered the attacker. The plane then had to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The Emirati authorities have launched an investigation. The motive and background to the crime remain the subject of investigations. The United Arab Emirates' senior diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash described the incident as a "dangerous act of terrorism" on Friday on X.
