UAE prosecutors have revealed that a 29-year-old Omani co-pilot aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 intended to hijack the aircraft and crash it into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport. The suspect, who reportedly assaulted the captain with an emergency crash axe during the flight to Tel Aviv, had allegedly spent two previous trips to the destination scouting the route and airport layout. Investigations into the September 30 incident suggest the co-pilot, who had worked for multiple airlines before joining flydubai in 2026, had been radicalized since his time as a student in Australia, where he was exposed to extremist Takfiri ideology and content glorifying historical terrorist attacks.

In a detailed confession, the suspect admitted to acting alone, claiming he had prepared for the act by undergoing boxing training and consuming radical propaganda. While the suspect passed all standard security screenings and background checks during his recruitment, authorities are now digging deeper into his potential ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and evaluating if any accomplices assisted in his planning. Meanwhile, flydubai has maintained a reserved stance on the matter, emphasizing its commitment to cooperating with government regulators and ongoing investigations as authorities continue to piece together the events surrounding this thwarted terrorist act.