UAE Attorney General: Flydubai co-pilot planned to crash plane into Ben Gurion Airport

The UAE Attorney General said on Friday that the co-pilot who attacked the captain of a Flydubai aircraft had been planning to carry out a suicide attack by crashing the plane into Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, 'with the intention of inflicting as many human casualties as possible,' before the aircraft commander was able to thwart the plan.

The Omani co-pilot told investigators that he was inspired by the September 11 attacks in the United States, and that those events were among the motives that led him to choose a career in aviation.

Investigation findings showed that the co-pilot, whose name has not yet been disclosed, '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 findings indicated that 'none of those measures revealed any indicators suggesting he had adopted extremist ideas or had any intent to carry out a terrorist plot.'

Investigations also showed that he used two previous flights to Tel Aviv for the purpose of 'familiarizing himself with the flight route and the airport.'

Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi explained that investigators traced the intellectual and professional trajectory of the 29-year-old defendant, and found that signs of his shift toward extremism and terrorism began in 2017 during his studies in Australia.

Al Shamsi added that the suspect was influenced by takfiri ideas through reading extremist writings and following online content that glorifies 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.