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Two More Flydubai Pilots Arrested in UAE Over Alleged Terror Plot
Two additional Flydubai co-pilots from the Maldives were arrested in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, October 3, 2026, as part of an investigation into an attempted terror attack on a flight to Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026. The Maldivian Embassy in the UAE notified the families of the arrested men after they had no contact with them for several days.
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What happened
- 01Two Flydubai co-pilots from the Maldives were arrested in the UAE on October 3, 2026, in connection with an attempted terror attack on a flight to Tel Aviv.
- 02The arrested co-pilots knew the primary suspect, Hamam al-Hammami, and lived in the same residential building with him.
- 03Both of the arrested Maldivian pilots had previously flown routes to Israel as part of their routine work for Flydubai.
- 04The Maldivian Embassy in the UAE notified the families of the arrested pilots after several days without contact.
- 05The main suspect, Hamam al-Hammami, confessed to planning the attack but claimed during interrogation that he acted alone.
- 06Forensic evidence reportedly links an emergency axe to an injury sustained by the captain during the incident.
- 07Separate investigations into the incident are being conducted in India and Saudi Arabia, with India seeking assistance and flight data from Israel.
The two arrested co-pilots knew the primary suspect, Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, through their work at the airline and lived in the same residential building as him. As part of their routine work for Flydubai, both of the Maldivian pilots had previously flown routes to Israel. Security agencies are investigating the exact nature of their connection to the terror infrastructure and whether they had prior knowledge of the plot.
While the main suspect, al-Hammami, claimed during interrogation that he acted alone, investigators are exploring the possibility that he was part of a broader terror cell. Forensic analysis has reportedly matched an injury sustained by the flight's captain to an emergency axe, which is believed to have been used as the weapon. Separate inquiries into the incident are also being conducted in India and Saudi Arabia, with Indian investigators seeking flight data and black box information from Israel.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 6 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: Kipa. Read Kipa’s original
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