The co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack a Flydubai flight last week planned to crash the passenger jet into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport or a prominent tower block in the Israeli city, according to US and Israeli reports. The suspect, identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, was described in the reports as a "lone wolf" extremist who sought to carry out a devastating suicide attack.
The United Arab Emirates' attorney-general confirmed that the co-pilot attempted to execute a "terrorist act" on flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv last Wednesday. During the flight, al-Hammami attacked and wounded the captain, Smit Machchhar, using an emergency crash axe kept inside the cockpit. Passengers intervened and overpowered the attacker, while another crew member traveling on the plane managed to take control and land the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia. A second Flydubai plane subsequently transported the stranded passengers to Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the co-pilot had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination." He credited the captain, passengers, and the secondary crew with preventing "a 9/11 disaster."
As questioning of the suspect continues in the UAE, further details about his plans have emerged. Israeli media, citing sources familiar with the investigation, reported that al-Hammami told investigators he planned to fly the Boeing 737 MAX normally into Israeli airspace after attacking the captain. He intended to obtain standard landing clearance from Ben Gurion Airport before intentionally crashing the aircraft, which was carrying more than 180 passengers, into the airport or a central Tel Aviv high-rise building. Investigators believe he acted independently rather than under the direction of an organized radical group or foreign government.
According to reports, al-Hammami also admitted to investigators that he had planned to hijack and crash a previous flight to Tel Aviv. However, he abandoned that plan because he realized he knew one of the individuals on board. Neither Emirati nor Israeli authorities have issued immediate official comments on these specific interrogation details.
The incident has raised serious questions regarding major security lapses, particularly how the co-pilot was recruited and cleared to operate a flight carrying Israeli passengers. Regional officials revealed that Oman's national carrier, Oman Air, had previously barred al-Hammami from flying and reassigned him to an administrative position due to concerns over his extremist views. He was later hired by the UAE-based Flydubai after undergoing standard security checks that did not investigate his background for potential radicalization.
Furthermore, Israeli aviation regulations strictly prohibit pilots who are citizens of nations without formal diplomatic ties to Israel, such as Oman, from operating flights into the country. Regional officials told the Associated Press that Emirati authorities had shared the list of passengers and crew with Israel prior to the flight's departure from Dubai.
A dispute has emerged within Israel regarding who was responsible for vetting the flight crew. Israel's domestic security agency, Shin Bet, stated that the transport ministry is tasked with reviewing such lists from foreign airlines. However, Transport Minister Miri Regev countered that her ministry was never provided with the passenger and crew lists, arguing that security oversight for foreign commercial flights falls under the jurisdiction of the Shin Bet and the Mossad intelligence agency. In light of the security failure, Netanyahu has instructed the head of the National Security Council to review all security aspects concerning foreign civil aviation to Israel.
Meanwhile, Australian authorities are investigating the co-pilot's connections to Australia. Local media reports indicate that al-Hammami lived and studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017.
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