How a Flydubai Co-Pilot Allegedly Planned a 9/11-Style Attack on Ben Gurion

A co-pilot who attacked the captain of a flydubai jet on Sept. 30 planned to crash the plane into Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv in a suicide attack, the United Arab Emirates attorney general said Friday. Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said prosecutors believe the plot was inspired by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

The statement, carried by the state news agency WAM, is the most detailed official account so far, according to Al Jazeera. It also says the airline's hiring checks found nothing that pointed to the plot.

What prosecutors say the co-pilot intended

Euronews reported that the 29-year-old Omani co-pilot intended to cause "the greatest possible loss of life," according to the findings. The Independent reported that he planned to hit a terminal at the airport.

Prosecutors said he used two earlier flights to Tel Aviv to familiarize himself with the route and the airport, WAM reported. Al-Shamsi said the suspect told investigators he prepared mentally and physically by watching material promoting terrorism and taking boxing lessons. According to the statement, he confessed in the presence of his lawyer and said he acted alone.

UAE officials have not named the suspect. People with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters and The Associated Press he is Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national, according to The Independent and Al Jazeera.

How the case developed

• 2017: Prosecutors say signs of the suspect's drift toward extremism first appeared while he was studying in Australia.
• November 2018 to May 2019: Police said he was in New Zealand on a six-month student visa to complete part of his flight training for a UK-based company, The Independent reported.
• 2025: Royal Air Maroc said he underwent three months of training with it but that his later application to work for the airline was rejected.
• January 2026: He joined flydubai after working for airlines in several countries, including Oman Air, according to the attorney general.
• Sept. 30: Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 carrying 174 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was attacked in the cockpit. Most passengers were Israeli, Euronews reported.
• Oct. 1: Emirati prosecutors opened an inquiry, WAM reported.
• Oct. 9: The attorney general published the findings.

What happened in the air

Flightradar24 data cited by Al Jazeera showed the plane departed Dubai at 7:05 a.m. and climbed to 34,000 feet. A little over two hours later it began a steep descent. Reports differ on the size of the drop: Euronews said about 5,000 meters, The Independent said 16,000 feet in 30 seconds, and Al Jazeera said more than 17,000 feet in about two minutes.

The Indian captain, identified by Al Jazeera as Smit Machchhar, was injured in the attack. Euronews and The Independent said the co-pilot used an axe, while Al Jazeera described a stabbing. Passengers and crew then overpowered the attacker, according to the reports. The transponder was switched to code 7500, which signals unlawful interference.

Two reserve pilots on board took control and landed the jet at Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities said both pilots were taken to hospital and later moved to Abu Dhabi after being medically cleared.

What this means for air travel security and airline hiring

Investigators examined flydubai's recruiting and found the co-pilot met every professional and security requirement, including holding a pilot's license and providing a certificate of good conduct. Al-Shamsi said none of those procedures revealed signs of extremist views or an intent to carry out an attack. Al Jazeera noted the statement did not appear to implicate flydubai in wrongdoing.

In practical terms, the findings suggest standard background checks did not flag the suspect. In Israel, the case has heightened security concerns. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a thorough review of security aspects of foreign civil aviation to Israel, Euronews reported. The Independent said the incident comes weeks before an Israeli election, the first since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack, in which security is a defining issue.

What happens next

Saudi Arabia has opened a separate safety investigation into the flight, sources told Reuters. Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday gave a civilian heroism award to six Israelis who helped stop the attack. He said the heroism did not remove the need for full and satisfactory answers, The Jerusalem Post reported, as cited by Euronews.

The Independent reported that U.S. President Donald Trump, asked Monday whether Iran was responsible, said he personally believes it was. The UAE statement said the suspect acted alone.

Sources: Euronews, The Independent, Al Jazeera