Overview
- On September 30 the co‑pilot allegedly attacked the captain with a cockpit emergency axe, the plane plunged thousands of feet, and passengers and crew restrained the attacker before the flight made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi announced on October 9 that the 29‑year‑old Omani suspect gave a detailed confession saying he planned to crash the jet into Ben Gurion Airport’s passenger terminal and that he acted alone.
- Prosecutors say the suspect was inspired by the September 11, 2001 attacks, was likely radicalized while studying in Melbourne in 2017, and used two earlier Dubai–Tel Aviv flights to familiarise himself with the route and airport.
- Investigators found the pilot met Flydubai’s formal professional and security checks when hired in January 2026 but those screenings did not reveal extremist intent, prompting parallel probes by UAE criminal authorities, a Saudi safety inquiry and cooperation from Israeli, Australian and UK agencies.
- Passengers, an off‑duty pilot and cabin crew who intervened saved lives, and officials say the case will drive scrutiny of cockpit tool access, cross‑border vetting and international information sharing about airline staff.