UAE Says Flydubai Copilot Planned Attack on Israeli Airport

A planned attack on Israel's main international airport was thwarted after the captain of a Flydubai passenger jet and several passengers stopped the aircraft's Omani copilot from allegedly seizing control during a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight on September 30, the United Arab Emirates' attorney general said Friday. Preliminary findings indicate that Hamam al-Hammami, 29, intended to crash the aircraft into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in a suicide attack inspired by the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.

According to a statement from Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, the incident involved Flydubai flight FZ1073 and prompted an investigation launched on October 1. The confrontation ended with an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the copilot allegedly attacked the captain with an emergency crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft.

Investigators said al-Hammami had taken two previous flights to Tel Aviv to study the route and familiarize himself with the airport before the alleged attack. The preliminary findings described the plan as deliberate and intended to cause the greatest possible loss of life.

The attorney general's statement linked the suspect's aviation career to his alleged extremist intentions. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the September 11 attacks, when four commercial aircraft were hijacked and crashed at locations in the United States.

"The idea of carrying out a similar operation using an aircraft became firmly established in his mind, which, according to his confessions, was connected to his decision to pursue a career in aviation," said Al Shamsi, according to Emirati state media.

The investigation found that al-Hammami's shift toward extremism began in 2017 while he was studying in Australia. Authorities said he consumed extremist publications and online material glorifying terrorist organizations and suicide attacks, increased his exposure to content promoting terrorism, and trained in boxing under a private coach.

Al-Hammami worked for Oman Air from 2020 to 2024 before joining Royal Air Maroc in 2025. The Moroccan airline said in a statement to the Associated Press that he completed three months of training as part of its pre-employment process but was not selected. He joined Flydubai in January 2026.

A source familiar with the investigation told CNN that al-Hammami had been removed from flight training at Oman Air because of concerns about his radical views and assigned another role at the airline. The UAE investigation is also examining Flydubai's recruitment procedures and whether existing screening measures could have identified the alleged threat.

Al Shamsi said the investigation found that al-Hammami met the professional and security requirements for employment, including holding a pilot's license, possessing a certificate of good conduct, and completing the required examinations.

"There were no indications emerging during those procedures that revealed his extremist inclinations or his intention to carry out a terrorist plot," said Al Shamsi, according to Emirati state media.

The attorney general said the suspect claimed he acted alone, but authorities were continuing to examine that assertion. Investigators are reviewing evidence, recordings, and technical reports while assessing whether other people may have been involved.

Earlier accounts cited by Reuters said the suspect had allegedly discussed planning the attack before joining Flydubai. A source briefed on the UAE investigation also said he had considered hijacking and crashing an earlier flight to Tel Aviv but abandoned that plan; the reason for the change of intention was not immediately clear.