Fly Dubai Co-Pilot Planned Attack Before Joining Airline, Sources Say

ARK News.. Two Israeli officials familiar with the investigation said the Fly Dubai co-pilot who stabbed the captain in what is suspected to have been an attempt to bring down the aircraft last week told Emirati investigators that he had planned the attack before joining the airline.

According to Reuters, a third source familiar with the Emirati investigation said on Monday, October 5, 2026, that the co-pilot, an Omani national, had planned to crash the aircraft, which was headed to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv last Wednesday.

The source said the co-pilot had previously operated a flight to Tel Aviv earlier this year and had intended to hijack and crash the aircraft at that time, but ultimately decided not to carry out the plan.

It was not immediately clear why the co-pilot changed his mind on the earlier flight. However, the source said he was believed to have known someone on board.

All the sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the investigation. The Emirati and Israeli authorities had not responded to requests for comment, nor had Fly Dubai.

The UAE attorney general said the co-pilot aboard Fly Dubai Flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Israel last Wednesday, attacked the pilot with a fire axe and described the incident as a “terrorist operation.”

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