Overview
- The attempted hijacking occurred on Sept. 30 when the Omani co‑pilot allegedly struck the captain with the cockpit emergency axe, the jet plunged about 14,000–16,000 feet, and passengers, crew and two reserve pilots restrained the attacker before an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- On Oct. 9 the UAE attorney‑general published findings saying the 29‑year‑old confessed in the presence of his lawyer that he planned a suicide strike to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport and that he acted alone, prosecutors said.
- Investigators traced the suspect’s shift toward extremist views to around 2017 while he studied in Melbourne and say he consumed extremist literature and online content, attended a linked mosque, and trained physically in preparation for violence.
- The UAE said the pilot met Flydubai’s formal employment and security checks but that those procedures did not reveal his extremist intent, so authorities are now probing vetting gaps, prior employer records and whether warnings were missed or not shared.
- Saudi, Israeli, British, Australian and UAE authorities continue criminal and safety inquiries, Israel has ordered reviews of foreign crew procedures, and the case could drive changes to pilot screening, cross‑border data sharing and cockpit tool access.