UAE says detained Flydubai pilot had links to Muslim Brotherhood

The co-pilot of Flydubai who attempted to carry out a terrorist attack at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv is suspected of having links to the international terrorist organization the Muslim Brotherhood, UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said.

According to the WAM news agency, cited by Report, he presented the findings of an investigation into the incident involving a Dubai–Tel Aviv flight scheduled for September 30.

According to investigators, the 29-year-old co-pilot, an Omani national, had prepared the attack plan in advance. He intended to seize control of the aircraft and use it to launch a deadly attack on the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, with the aim of causing as many casualties as possible.

Investigators examined the suspect's ideological and professional background. The first signs of his radicalization emerged in 2017, while he was studying in Australia. According to the prosecution, the suspect was also inspired by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and conceived a plan to carry out a similar operation using an aircraft. He reportedly admitted that this was the reason he decided to pursue a career in aviation.

While studying in Melbourne, he regularly attended the mosque at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). There, he met individuals linked to an organization called My Centre.

The suspect said the center was run by a Lebanese man known as Abu Hamza and that the organization received support from an association linked to the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist movement.

During his professional career, the suspect worked for several airlines in different countries. He was employed by Oman Air from 2020 to 2024, joined Royal Air Maroc in early 2025 and worked there for several months before taking a job with Flydubai in January 2026.

The investigation found that he had used his two previous flights to Tel Aviv to study the route and the airport. According to the prosecution, he began carrying out his plan during his third flight to the city on September 30.

The detainee claims he acted alone, but investigators are continuing to verify his statements.

On September 30, a Flydubai aircraft traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. It was later reported that one of the pilots had suffered a stab wound, while the other had attempted to seize control of the aircraft. Other crew members and passengers intervened.

Flydubai suspended flights to Israel pending the conclusion of the investigation into the incident.