Al Qaeda Praises Flydubai Attack, Calls For Copycat Strikes On US, Israeli Planes

Al Qaeda has praised the attempted takeover of Flydubai Flight FZ1073 and called for copycat attacks on US and Israeli aircraft, invoking the September 11, 2001, attacks in its latest propaganda publication.

According to reports, the call appeared in al-Bayan, a weekly publication circulated by Al Qaeda supporters. It referred to the September 11 attacks and the September 30 incident involving the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, in which Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly attacked Indian Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit.

The publication reportedly featured an image of an aircraft crashing into the World Trade Center alongside imagery linked to the Flydubai incident. It urged supporters to target aircraft carrying Americans, Israelis and others it described as enemies. The material was circulated through Telegram channels before apparently being removed.

The incident has raised questions about al-Hammami’s background. The Wall Street Journal reported that he had previously been banned from flying in Oman over concerns about alleged radical views before being hired by Flydubai. Australian authorities are also examining his links to the country after reports that he studied engineering there.

Meanwhile, passengers have described how two previously unidentified pilots helped prevent the aircraft from crashing. The men were travelling as passengers to operate the plane’s return journey from Tel Aviv to Dubai, a practice known as “deadheading”.

Passenger Daniel Schlichter told the Associated Press that after Machchhar opened the cockpit door, passengers subdued the attacker while one of the travelling pilots rushed through the group and seized the controls. The second pilot then entered and helped stabilise the aircraft. Their identities have not been publicly disclosed.

Schlichter said passengers initially feared the two men might hijack the plane and fly it towards Iran because they did not know who they were. About 45 minutes later, the pilots announced they would land in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The aircraft had suffered an extreme descent that reportedly damaged part of its rudder.

Machchhar later spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from his hospital bed, recounting how he fought to regain access to the cockpit. Netanyahu praised him as a “hero” of the entire world and invited him to attend Israel’s Independence Day celebrations next year.

Investigators are examining social media posts that appeared after al-Hammami was reportedly in custody, including cockpit footage and an image of former Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Flydubai has suspended its Dubai-Tel Aviv flights while the UAE-led investigation continues.