DOMINANT ANGLE
Brussels is weighing the statements from the Emirati prosecutor's office: the Belgian press is relaying the theory of the suicide attack against Ben-Gourion, but stops at what the investigation still needs to verify, from the lone co-pilot to hiring controls.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi stated on Friday, October 9, that the 29-year-old co-pilot planned a suicide attack on the passenger terminal of Ben-Gourion Airport.
- 02
The suspect claimed to have acted alone; the investigation is ongoing "to verify this statement".
- 03
According to the prosecution, he met all the recruitment requirements for flydubai, where he joined in January 2026, and no background check revealed his extremist views.
ANALYSIS
Brussels, 10 October 2026. The Belgian government is examining the statement released on Friday, 9 October by the Attorney General of the United Arab Emirates, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi. The Omani co-pilot of the flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, who had attacked the captain before an emergency landing in late September in Saudi Arabia, "had begun to implement a premeditated terrorist project". According to the prosecution, he aimed to take control of the aircraft to use it against the passenger terminal of Ben-Gurion Airport, "with the aim of causing the maximum number of possible victims".
The Belgian authorities outline the profile drawn up by the prosecutor. The man is 29 years old. He was inspired by the 11 September 2001 attacks. He is said to have been influenced by the "takfiri ideology" from 2017, while studying in Australia, and then worked for several companies in different countries before joining flydubai in January 2026.
The Belgian account then focuses on the question of accomplices. The co-pilot "claimed to have acted alone, without the involvement of other people", but the magistrate specifies that the investigation is ongoing "to verify this claim".
The second axis is that of recruitment. According to the prosecutor, the pilot met "the professional and security conditions required for hiring": licence, certificate of good conduct, required checks. "None of these procedures revealed any indications suggesting his extremist views", he adds. The Belgian government notes that international media have reported that the co-pilot was banned from flying in Oman due to his views.
The two articles remain factual and attribute each statement to the Emirati prosecution. They do not comment on the political implications for relations between the Emirates and Israel, nor the consequences for air safety in Europe. The emphasis is on the nature of the confessions, their verification, and the reliability of security checks at hiring.
