- Investigation reportedly found that the Omani national intended to seize control of the aircraft and crash it into the airport terminal; crew and passengers intervened, forcing an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
DOHA: The co-pilot of a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 allegedly planned to carry out a terrorist attack against Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, United Arab Emirates Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi has announced.
According to the Emirati state news agency WAM, the investigation established that the co-pilot, an Omani national, had allegedly planned to seize control of the aircraft and use it to launch a suicide attack on the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport, with the intention of causing the maximum possible loss of life.
“The investigation … established that the co-pilot, an Omani national, had attempted to carry out a premeditated terrorist act,” WAM quoted the attorney general as saying.
The alleged attacker was subdued by the aircraft’s crew and passengers, preventing the reported plan from being carried out. The aircraft subsequently made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The case highlights the importance of effective aviation security measures and the vigilance of flight crews and passengers in responding to potential threats to civilian air travel.
The allegations were attributed to the UAE Attorney General through WAM’s report.
BY: The Times Union
