New information emerging from the investigation into flydubai Flight FZ1073 suggests the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain may have planned an attack against an Israel-bound flight even before joining the Dubai-based airline, according to Israeli officials with knowledge of the investigation.
The investigation into the attack aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073 has taken a significant new turn, with two Israeli officials saying the co-pilot told UAE interrogators that he had planned an attack before being employed by flydubai.
According to Reuters, the officials said the co-pilot told investigators that he searched for airlines operating services to Tel Aviv and subsequently applied to join flydubai.
A third source briefed on the UAE investigation told Reuters that the co-pilot had allegedly intended to crash Flight FZ1073 into Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.
The source also claimed that he had previously operated a flight to Tel Aviv earlier in 2026 and had considered hijacking and crashing that aircraft before ultimately abandoning the plan.
These claims represent a major new development in the investigation but have not yet been publicly confirmed as final findings by UAE investigators.
UAE Investigation Continues
The United Arab Emirates has separately and officially classified the incident aboard FZ1073 as an attempted terrorist act.
UAE Attorney-General Counsellor Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said on October 3 that investigators determined the co-pilot began executing a plan during the flight by attacking the captain inside the cockpit with a crash axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft.
The UAE investigation remains ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident, including motive and any possible links.
Technical examinations and analysis of physical and digital evidence are also continuing.
The UAE has said final findings will be announced after the necessary investigative procedures have been completed.
Questions Turn to Pre-Employment Planning
The latest allegations could significantly broaden the aviation-security implications of FZ1073.
If investigators ultimately establish that the attack had been conceived before the co-pilot joined flydubai, attention is likely to turn toward how airlines and authorities assess potential insider threats during recruitment and employment.
However, the existence of an alleged pre-employment plan does not itself establish that flydubai had access to information that should have prevented the co-pilot’s recruitment.
No such conclusion has been announced by UAE investigators.
It would therefore be premature to attribute responsibility to the airline’s recruitment or screening procedures until investigators determine what information existed, who had access to it and whether it should reasonably have been identified.
Disaster Averted Aboard FZ1073
Flight FZ1073 was operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the cockpit attack occurred.
The captain survived the attack and managed to facilitate access to the cockpit, allowing the situation aboard the aircraft to be brought under control.
A reserve flydubai pilot travelling aboard the flight subsequently assumed control of the aircraft and landed safely at Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
The co-pilot was detained by Saudi authorities before being transferred to UAE custody.
More than 170 passengers and crew were aboard the aircraft.
International Investigation Expands
The investigation has increasingly taken on an international dimension.
Australian authorities are examining the co-pilot’s links to Australia through the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, comprising the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.
RMIT University has also confirmed that the individual had previously been enrolled at the Melbourne institution, although he did not successfully complete an engineering qualification.
Investigators across several jurisdictions are now attempting to reconstruct the co-pilot’s background and establish when the alleged plan originated.
Wider Implications for Aviation Security
FZ1073 is increasingly developing into an important case for international aviation security.
Much of modern cockpit security is designed to protect flight crews from threats originating outside the flight deck. An intentional threat allegedly originating from a member of the operating crew presents a fundamentally different challenge.
If the latest allegations are substantiated, aviation authorities may ultimately examine whether existing recruitment, background-screening and information-sharing systems adequately address potential insider threats.
Such conclusions, however, should follow the investigation rather than precede it.
For now, the most significant new development is the allegation that planning may have begun before the co-pilot joined flydubai.
Whether that allegation is supported by the UAE investigation will be critical to understanding the wider lessons arising from FZ1073.
MyAviation Magazine will continue to report verified findings as they are released by the relevant authorities.
MyAviation Magazine | Aviation Safety & Security
