The UAE Public Prosecution has released the findings of its investigation into the September 30, 2026 incident aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Attorney-General Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said investigators believe the aircraft’s 29-year-old Omani co-pilot had planned a premeditated suicide attack on Ben Gurion Airport’s passenger terminal.
According to the investigation, the suspect made two earlier flights to Tel Aviv to familiarise himself with the route and target before the alleged plot. On the day, he allegedly assaulted the captain with an emergency axe in the cockpit. The captain resisted and tried to call for help. An off-duty pilot travelling on board, a cabin crew member, and several passengers intervened and restrained the suspect. The flight was subsequently diverted and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
Investigators traced the suspect’s reported exposure to extremist ideology to 2017, when he was a student in Australia, where they say he accessed extremist literature and online content that glorified terrorist organisations and suicide attacks. In an alleged confession made in the presence of his lawyer, the suspect said he acted alone and cited the September 11, 2001 attacks as inspiration. He reportedly said he prepared psychologically and physically through extremist material and boxing training.
The suspect had worked for Oman Air from 2020 to 2024, joined Royal Air Maroc in early 2025, and moved to flydubai in January 2026. Dr Al Shamsi said pre-employment checks found he met professional and security criteria, including holding a valid pilot’s licence and providing a certificate of good conduct, and that those checks identified no indications of extremist views or plans.
A medical report found that the captain sustained head injuries consistent with an assault involving an implement matching the characteristics of an emergency axe. The alleged confession was made in the presence of his lawyer.
The Public Prosecution said the investigation is ongoing. Authorities are continuing to examine evidence, review recordings and technical reports, and investigate whether anyone else was involved.
