UAE says Omani flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv flight

Flydubai Tel Aviv Flight Thwarted: Co-Pilot's Suicide Plot Revealed by UAE

Details Emerge on Foiled Suicide Attack Plot

By Yasmine Ghania, Enas Alashray and Federico Maccioni

Incident Overview

DUBAI/CAIRO, Oct 9 (Reuters) - An Omani flydubai co-pilot had intended to seize a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight and crash it into a terminal at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on September 30 in a suicide attack before he was thwarted by the captain, the UAE attorney general said on Friday.

Attorney General Hamad Saif al Shamsi's statement did not appear to implicate flydubai in any wrongdoing, and contained the most detailed account yet from prosecutors about what they believe to have happened. Flydubai was not immediately available for comment.

Inspiration and Planning

The plan was inspired by the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US, UAE public prosecutors think, as a result of their criminal investigation launched on October 1.

It found the suspect had used two previous flights to Tel Aviv to "familiarise himself with the flight route and the airport", the state news agency WAM reported. It is the first public confirmation of the co-pilot's 9/11 inspiration.

The Attack and Response

The aircraft was in Saudi airspace when the co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe, typically kept in the cockpit for use during emergencies.

The incident caused the airliner to plunge 16,000 feet (4,900 meters) in 30 seconds before the attacker was overwhelmed and two other pilots who were on board landed the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia. The suspect was transferred to the UAE, flydubai's home country.

Investigation Findings

Suspect's Background and Recruitment

SUSPECT MET PROFESSIONAL AND SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Investigators examined flydubai's recruiting procedures and found the suspect had met all professional and security requirements, including holding a pilot's licence and providing a certificate of good conduct.

"However, none of the procedures revealed any indications of his extremist views or his intention to carry out a terrorist plot," Al Shamsi added.

Career History and Signs of Extremism

He said the 29-year-old had worked for airlines in different countries including Oman Air before joining flydubai in January 2026. The investigation found there were signs of the suspect drifting towards "extremism and terrorism" as early as 2017, while he was studying in Australia.

Royal Air Maroc has said that he underwent three months of training there in 2025, but that his application to work for the airline afterwards was rejected.

Identity and Motives

UAE officials have not identified the suspect; however, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters he had been identified as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national.

Al Shamsi said the suspect had told investigators he had prepared psychologically and physically for the attack by viewing material promoting terrorism and taking boxing lessons. 

Ongoing Investigations

Saudi Arabia has launched a separate safety investigation into flight FZ1073, sources told Reuters.

(Reporting by Enas Alashray, Yasmine Ghania, Federico Maccioni; Writing by Rod Nickel; Editing by Kevin Liffey)