DOMINANT ANGLE
Copenhagen is particularly focused on what the Emirati prosecutor says and doesn't say: a planned suicide attack on Ben-Gurion, a suspect who claims to have acted alone, and hiring checks that uncovered nothing.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The Emirati prosecutor claims the Omani co-pilot wanted to crash the plane into Ben-Gourion Airport on September 30, inspired by September 11, 2001.
- 02
The suspect says he acted alone; the investigation, opened on October 1, is still looking for potential accomplices.
- 03
According to the prosecution, no hiring procedure revealed his extremism, which was noted as early as 2017; the plane dropped 4,900 meters in 30 seconds.
ANALYSIS
Copenhagen, October 10, 2026. The Danish press, via the Ritzau agency, is reporting the preliminary conclusions of the United Arab Emirates' Attorney General, made public on Friday, October 9. According to him, the co-pilot of the Flydubai flight on September 30, an Omani national, wanted to take control of the plane to crash it into Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel in a suicide attack. His plan, the prosecution estimates, was inspired by the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States and aimed to "cause the maximum number of victims possible".
Berlingske and Politiken are sticking to the account established by the prosecution. The Emirati investigation has been open since October 1. When questioned, the man said he acted alone, but the prosecutor notes that the investigation continues to determine if he had any accomplices. He also indicated that he had already flown to Tel Aviv twice to get an idea of the plane's route and Ben-Gurion Airport.
The account of the attack is brief. The co-pilot hit the pilot in the cockpit with a hatchet, an emergency hatchet normally kept on board for emergency situations. The commander, Smit Machchhar, had earlier explained how he managed to open the cockpit door and get help from passengers. In the turmoil, the plane dropped 4,900 meters in just 30 seconds.
Berlingske is emphasizing the issue of recruitment. According to the prosecution, the suspect's drift "towards extremism and terrorism" was noted as early as 2017, but nothing appeared during his hiring: he met the security requirements, and the procedures did not reveal his extremist views or his intention to carry out a terrorist project. He had worked for Royal Air Maroc and Oman Air before joining Flydubai in January.
The two newspapers are staying close to their sources, which they cite: Reuters and AFP. They are not adding any editorial commentary or Danish reaction, and the regional context - Israel, Oman, agreements between Israel and the Emirates - is not developed. The judicial thread dominates: what the prosecution asserts, and what remains to be verified.
