The Omani co-pilot who attempted to crash a Flydubai flight into Israel on September 30 reportedly planned the attack months in advance, seeking employment at airlines that operate flights to Tel Aviv and initially targeting a July–August timeline, according to The Zioneer Intelligence Desk.
A report on the Behold Israel the source, posted Sunday evening, adds that the Omani co-pilot accused of attempting to crash Flydubai flight FZ 1073 into Israel originally planned the attack for July–August 2026 before postponing it to late September. The channel, citing apparently unnamed sources, said the suspect had plotted the 9/11-style hijacking for months and sought a position at any airline that could get him to Tel Aviv. The timeline has not been independently confirmed.
Our previous reporting on Sunday detailed the suspect's interrogation statements. At 20:02 Jerusalem, we reported that he told interrogators he deliberately checked which airlines fly to Tel Aviv and joined Flydubai for that reason. By 20:13, he added that he planned the attack before being hired. At 22:34, further details indicated he tried to get hired by all such carriers and specifically targeted Flydubai for its Tel Aviv route. On Saturday, an Israeli investigation team arrived in the UAE, and it was reported that the suspect was fired from Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc after extremist materials were found in his possession and that he published content supporting al-Qaeda.
As The Zioneer reported previously, the Italian daily Corriere della Sera provided a minute-by-minute account of the mid-air struggle in which the co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe and disabled both engines over the Saudi desert. CBS News reported that Flydubai hired him without a background check despite red flags from Omani authorities. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated on Friday that the perpetrator underwent Islamist radicalization and warned that those who sent him would pay a heavy price, as Israel investigates possible external direction.
The specific July–August timeline remains unverified, and the source of the latest report has not been independently corroborated. The investigation continues, including the question of external direction and the suspect's original target, with cooperation between Israeli and UAE authorities.
8 developments
- StrongOmani co-pilot told interrogators he planned to crash plane at Ben Gurion as 'revenge for Gaza'
- StrongFlydubai passengers tell New York Post: crew asked us to release terrorist co-pilot
- StrongShin Bet investigating terrorist who attempted to hijack Flydubai flight
- DevelopingIsrael Hayom reports new details linking Flydubai hijacking suspect to Iran
Source and signal
- Open-source intake