DOMINANT ANGLE
Islamabad is focusing on the confessions and verifications of the Emirati prosecution: a co-pilot who claims to have acted alone, an investigation still searching for potential accomplices.
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 Omani co-pilot wanted to crash the plane into the passenger terminal at Ben-Gourion (Geo News).
- 02
The suspect made a detailed confession in the presence of his lawyer and claimed to have acted alone; the prosecution is verifying his account and potential accomplices (Geo News).
- 03
The investigation, opened on October 1, established that he had used two previous flights to Tel Aviv to familiarize himself with the route and the airport; the aircraft lost 16,000 feet in 30 seconds (Business Recorder).
ANALYSIS
Islamabad, October 10, 2026. Geo News and Business Recorder are reporting the Emirati prosecution's account of the Flydubai FZ1073 flight on September 30 between Dubai and Tel Aviv. On Friday, October 9, Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi stated that a 29-year-old Omani co-pilot had planned to take control of the plane and crash it into the passenger terminal at Ben-Gurion Airport in a suicide attack.
Geo News highlights the suspect's confession: the suspect provided a detailed confession in the presence of his lawyer, claiming to have prepared and carried out the operation alone. However, the prosecutor notes that the prosecution is still verifying the account and seeking to determine if other individuals were involved.
The same article describes the assault: the suspect allegedly hit the captain on the head with a fire axe in the cockpit. A captain assigned to the return flight, who was on board, noticed that the door was opening and closing in an unusual manner. He entered using the access code and, with a crew member and several passengers, subdued the man. Along with his co-pilot, he regained control of the plane, diverted it to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and landed it without incident.
According to Geo News, the suspect's extremist ideas began to form in 2017, during his studies in Australia, fueled by extremist literature and online content glorifying terrorist organizations and suicide attacks. He allegedly drew inspiration from the September 11, 2001, attacks and said he prepared by exposing himself to more of this content and training in boxing with a private coach.
Business Recorder, citing the official WAM agency, reports that the investigation, which was opened on October 1, established that the suspect had used two previous flights to Tel Aviv to "familiarize himself with the flight route and airport." The plane dropped 16,000 feet in 30 seconds. The man had worked for several airlines, including Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc, before joining Flydubai in January 2026. The site also refers to an article about Benjamin Netanyahu's warning of a "very heavy price" for any power behind the incident.
In both texts, the focus is on what the prosecution has established - the confession and preparation - and what it still needs to verify: the alleged isolation of the perpetrator and potential accomplices.
