ABU DHABI: United Arab Emirates Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said on Friday that a Flydubai co-pilot planned a suicide attack targeting Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
The prosecutor said the Omani national attempted to seize flight FZ1073 on September 30, attacking the captain with an emergency axe during the journey from Dubai.
Investigators concluded that the suspect intended to crash the aircraft into the airport’s passenger terminal to cause mass casualties. However, the captain resisted the assault and attempted to summon help.
Another pilot aboard the aircraft noticed unusual cockpit door movement and intervened. A cabin crew member and several passengers helped restrain the suspect.
Two pilots subsequently regained control of the aircraft and diverted it to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The captain suffered head injuries during the struggle.
Read: Israel Says Passengers Foiled Flydubai Flight Crash Attempt
According to Al Shamsi, the 29-year-old suspect drew inspiration from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. Investigators traced his alleged exposure to extremist ideology to 2017, when he was studying in Australia.
The attorney-general said extremist publications and online material influenced the suspect’s thinking. He allegedly decided to pursue an aviation career partly to carry out a similar attack.
Read: Press TV Claims Israel-UAE Plot Behind Flydubai Flight Incident
Prosecutors found that before the incident, the co-pilot had flown to Tel Aviv twice to study the route and airport. Al Shamsi added that the suspect had confessed to acting alone in the presence of his lawyer.
Nevertheless, UAE prosecutors continue to examine evidence and investigate whether others were involved.
