The UAE Attorney General revealed new details regarding the Flydubai incident, clarifying that the accused copilot, who holds Omani nationality, planned to take control of the aircraft and use it in a suicide operation, with his intentions related to the incident starting in Australia in 2017.
The Attorney General stated in a press interview reviewed by the "Video News Agency" that the accused surprised the captain of the aircraft and attacked him with the emergency axe, noting that he had worked for several airlines throughout his career before joining Flydubai and met the professional and security employment requirements of the company, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
The Attorney General added that the accused moved between a number of airlines in different countries during his career, having worked for Oman Air from 2020 to 2024, before joining Royal Air Morocco in early 2025, where he worked for several months before transferring to Flydubai in January 2026.
The incident dates back to September 30, when flight FZ1073 operated by Flydubai, headed from Dubai to Tel Aviv, experienced a sharp descent of over 16,000 feet within about 30 seconds, according to flight tracking data reviewed by Reuters.
The agency reported that the copilot attacked the captain of the flight with the emergency axe inside the cockpit, injuring him before the captain managed to open the cockpit door, and passengers intervened to subdue the copilot.
Two reserve pilots who were on board took over the flying duties and diverted the flight to the city of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
The aircraft was carrying more than 170 passengers, the majority of whom were Israeli, while Saudi authorities detained the copilot after landing.
Emirati authorities opened an investigation to uncover the circumstances and motives of the incident, before the UAE Attorney General announced that investigations revealed the copilot's planning to take control of the aircraft and use it in a suicide operation.