Flydubai Pilot Planned 9/11-Inspired Attack on Tel Aviv Airport, UAE Says
The Emirate Attorney General said the suspect "drew inspiration" from 9/11 and was motivated by Islamic fundamentalism.
A 29-year-old Omani pilot planned to hijack a Flydubai flight and crash it into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, according to the UAE Attorney General. The incident occurred on September 30, 2023, when the passenger jet was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 170 people on board. The suspect attacked the co-pilot and captain, but they managed to regain control of the aircraft and land it in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk Airport, where the suspect was arrested.
The suspect confessed that he was inspired by the 9/11 attacks and had planned the attack for months, studying the flight route and airport beforehand. His extremist views had been developing since 2017 when he was studying in Australia, influenced by takfiri ideology and extremist literature. The suspect attended a mosque linked to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and received support from a group associated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Despite passing security checks, including a clean criminal record and a pilot's license, the suspect's extremist beliefs were not detected. The incident is reminiscent of the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, which killed around 3,000 people.
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