A flydubai Boeing 737 on flight FZ1073 was nearly hijacked on September 30 when a 29‑year‑old Omani co‑pilot attacked the captain with an axe and attempted to crash the aircraft into a terminal at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, the UAE attorney general said on Friday.
Attorney General Hamad Saif al‑Shamsi said investigators believe the co‑pilot had been planning a pre‑meditated terrorist attack inspired by the 9/11 attacks. He had used two earlier Tel Aviv flights to familiarise himself with the route and airport, and prosecutors found evidence of extremist tendencies dating back to 2017 while he studied in Australia. The suspect reportedly prepared psychologically and physically, citing material that promoted terrorism and boxing lessons.
During the incident, the aircraft plunged 16,000 feet in 30 seconds before two other pilots regained control and guided the plane to safety in Saudi Arabia. Passengers near the front helped subdue the attacker, and the co‑pilot was later transferred to the UAE, flydubai’s home country. Investigators reviewed flydubai’s recruitment procedures and found the suspect met all professional and security requirements, but no indications of extremist views were detected.
The incident has heightened security concerns in Israel ahead of the country’s first election since the Hamas‑led October 7 attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the event as a “highly severe security incident” and said Saudi authorities would interrogate the co‑pilot. Saudi Arabia has launched a separate safety investigation, and U.S. President Donald Trump has said he personally believes Iran was involved, according to a report by Reuters.
