Omani flydubai co-pilot planned September 11 like suicide attack on Tel Aviv flight: UAE says

A flydubai co-pilot who tried to hijack a flight heading for Israel on September 30, had planned to seize the flight and crash it into a terminal at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport in a suicide attack before he was thwarted by his fellow pilot.

According to a statement by the UAE attorney general on Friday, the plan by the Omani national was allegedly inspired by the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US.

The UAE public prosecutors believe as a result of their investigation launched on October 1, which found the suspect had used two previous flights to Tel Aviv to “familiarise himself with the flight route and the airport”.

The incident reportedly caused the plane heading to Tel Aviv from Dubai to plunge 16,000 feet in 30 seconds.

The attorney general said the suspect had worked for several airlines in different countries in the past, including Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc, before joining flydubai in January 2026.