By GlobalDeskNews Staff · October 9, 2026
A flydubai Boeing 737-8 MAX. Flight FZ1073, the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv service at the centre of the investigation, was a 737 MAX. (Photo: Anna Zvereva, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
The United Arab Emirates laid out on Friday what it says is the full story behind the September 30 flydubai co-pilot suicide attack plot — and it is far darker than first reported. According to the country's attorney general, the Omani co-pilot of flight FZ1073 was not lashing out in a moment of rage. Prosecutors say he was executing a premeditated plan: seizing a passenger jet to crash it into Ben Gurion Airport's passenger terminal and kill as many people as possible.
The announcement came from Attorney General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, who detailed the findings of the Public Prosecution's investigation on Friday. The suspect, 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, drew inspiration from the September 11, 2001 attacks, prosecutors said — and, in his own confession, admitted he had chosen a career in aviation specifically so he could one day carry out a similar operation.
What the investigation found: a premeditated flydubai co-pilot suicide attack
Per the attorney general's statement, carried by state news agency WAM, the plot targeted the Ben Gurion passenger terminal in Tel Aviv. The co-pilot had "begun carrying out a premeditated terrorist plot to seize control of the aircraft and use it to launch a suicide attack," the statement said, "with the aim of causing the greatest possible loss of life."
This was no improvised attempt. Reuters reported that investigators, who opened their probe on October 1, found the suspect had used two earlier flights to Tel Aviv to "familiarise himself with the flight route and the airport" — dry runs before the real thing. The Jerusalem Post, citing WAM, reported that Hammami intended "to cause the highest number of casualties possible."
Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv. Prosecutors say the co-pilot planned to crash flight FZ1073 into the passenger terminal. (Photo: Ralf Roletschek, GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia Commons)
The Melbourne years: how prosecutors say he was radicalized
The trail, prosecutors said, runs back nine years to Melbourne, Australia. Signs of extremism first surfaced in 2017, while Hammami was studying there. He absorbed extremist literature and online content glorifying terrorist groups and suicide attacks, according to the attorney general's statement, and adopted what prosecutors described as takfiri ideology.
The details are specific. He attended a mosque affiliated with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, where prosecutors say he came into contact with people connected to a centre run by a Lebanese man known as "Abu Hamza," described as having links to the Muslim Brotherhood. He hardened himself for the job, too: intensifying his exposure to material promoting terrorism and training in boxing under a private coach, according to The National's account of the announcement.
Melbourne, Australia, where prosecutors say the suspect's radicalization began in 2017 while he was studying. (Photo: Misaochan2, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
Australian authorities were already looking into the connection. Reuters reported on October 5 that a multi-agency Australian counterterrorism unit — federal police, Victorian police and the ASIO intelligence agency — was investigating the co-pilot's links to the country. RMIT confirmed he had been enrolled there but never finished an engineering qualification.
What happened aboard FZ1073 on September 30
The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv service was carrying 172 people when the attack began inside the cockpit. According to the attorney general's findings, Hammami struck the captain with an emergency axe. The jet plunged 16,000 feet in 30 seconds, Reuters reported — an aviation instructor who recreated the descent in a simulator for Reuters said it would have felt like "a vertical roller coaster."
What saved the aircraft was an off-duty pilot. A pilot travelling as a passenger on the return flight noticed the cockpit door behaving unusually, forced his way in, and — with crew and passengers — overpowered Hammami and pulled the injured captain to safety. The plane diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia and landed safely. For the full account of the attack itself, see our earlier coverage: Flydubai Hijack Plot: Omani Co-Pilot Planned to Crash Jet Into Tel Aviv Skyscrapers.
The prosecution has since heard statements from the captain, the off-duty pilot, his co-pilot and crew members. A forensic medical report found the captain's injuries concentrated on the head — consistent with the attack as described.
A career path prosecutors say was chosen for one reason
Hammami's work history looks, on paper, like a normal pilot's. Oman Air from 2020 to 2024. A short stint at Royal Air Maroc in early 2025. Then flydubai in January 2026. If his confession is accurate, every one of those jobs was a step toward a single goal.
The investigation also pulled apart flydubai's hiring process. Prosecutors examined how Hammami was recruited and found he met every professional and security requirement — a valid pilot's licence, a certificate of good conduct, the standard checks. None of it, the attorney general said, flagged extremist views or any hint of the plot. That finding will be uncomfortable reading for airlines everywhere.
Why it matters
For aviation, this is a nightmare scenario confirmed, prosecutors say, by an official confession: a vetted, licensed pilot using his credentials as a weapon. The insider threat has always been the hardest to guard against — and the attorney general's finding that standard vetting caught nothing makes it harder still.
For Israel and the UAE, the plot's target matters too. A passenger jet turned into a weapon aimed at Ben Gurion Airport would have been catastrophic — and it lands as the region is already on edge. The confession also raises hard questions in Australia about what was known, and when, about a student who studied in Melbourne nearly a decade ago.
What happens next
Hammami remains in UAE custody. Prosecutors say he confessed to acting alone — but they are still verifying that claim, reviewing cockpit recordings, technical reports and any possible accomplice connections. No formal charges have been announced publicly yet.
Beyond the courtroom, expect scrutiny of pilot vetting across the industry, and of the Australian trail: Canberra's counterterrorism unit is already digging into his Melbourne years. The attorney general has promised final results once the investigation is complete.
Key takeaways
- The UAE's attorney general announced on Friday that the Omani co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 planned a 9/11-style suicide attack on Ben Gurion Airport's terminal.
- The suspect, 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami, confessed he chose an aviation career specifically to carry out such an attack.
- Prosecutors say he was radicalized from 2017 while studying in Melbourne, Australia, and used two earlier Tel Aviv flights as reconnaissance.
- He worked for Oman Air, Royal Air Maroc and flydubai — and passed every professional and security check.
- The September 30 attack was foiled when an off-duty pilot forced open the cockpit door; the jet landed safely in Tabuk.
- Hammami is in UAE custody and says he acted alone; investigators are still verifying that claim.
Frequently asked questions
What did the UAE attorney general reveal about the flydubai co-pilot?
Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi announced Friday that the Public Prosecution's investigation found the Omani co-pilot of flight FZ1073 had begun carrying out a premeditated suicide-attack plot. The target was the Ben Gurion Airport passenger terminal, with the aim, prosecutors said, of causing the greatest possible loss of life.
Who is the flydubai co-pilot accused in the FZ1073 plot?
He is 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, according to the Jerusalem Post's account of the AG's announcement. He worked for Oman Air from 2020 to 2024, spent a brief stint at Royal Air Maroc in 2025, and joined flydubai in January 2026. He remains in UAE custody.
How was the co-pilot radicalized, according to prosecutors?
Prosecutors trace it to 2017, when Hammami was studying in Melbourne, Australia. They say he consumed extremist literature and online content glorifying terrorism and suicide attacks, attended a mosque linked to RMIT, and met people connected to a centre run by a Lebanese man called "Abu Hamza." He also boxed with a private coach to prepare physically.
Did the suspect confess to the flydubai attack plot?
Yes, according to the UAE attorney general. Prosecutors say Hammami confessed that the 9/11 attacks inspired him, that he deliberately chose an aviation career to copy them, and that he acted alone. Investigators are still verifying the claim and reviewing recordings, technical reports and possible accomplice links.
Why didn't airline security checks catch him?
They had nothing to catch. The AG said investigators examined flydubai's recruitment process and found Hammami met every requirement — a valid pilot's licence, a certificate of good conduct and the standard checks. None of the procedures revealed extremist views or any sign of a plot. That clean record is what makes the case so troubling for aviation.
What happens next in the flydubai FZ1073 investigation?
Hammami stays in UAE custody while the Public Prosecution finalizes its work — reviewing recordings, technical evidence and whether he truly acted alone. No formal charges have been announced publicly yet. Separately, Australian counterterrorism agencies are probing his Melbourne years, and pilot-vetting practices face fresh scrutiny across the industry.
Sources
- Reuters, "UAE says Omani flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv flight" (Oct 9, 2026): reuters.com
- The National, "Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv Airport, prosecutors say" (Oct 9, 2026): thenationalnews.com
- Emirates24|7 (WAM), "UAE Attorney-General announces updates on investigation into the flydubai flight FZ1073 incident" (Oct 9, 2026): emirates247.com
- The Jerusalem Post, "UAE: Omani flydubai pilot targeted Ben-Gurion Airport in suicide attack attempt" (Oct 9, 2026): jpost.com
- Reuters via GMA News Online, "Australia probes flydubai co-pilot's links to the country, police say" (Oct 5, 2026): background on the Melbourne link.
Related reading on Global Desk News: Flydubai Hijack Plot: Omani Co-Pilot Planned to Crash Jet Into Tel Aviv Skyscrapers.