Flydubai Co-pilot Planned to Crash Plane into Tel Aviv Airport, Reports Say

Reports indicate that the co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack a Flydubai aircraft planned to crash the plane into Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport or a high-rise building in the Israeli city. The Omani national is described by US and Israeli sources as a “lone wolf” extremist who acted independently rather than under the direction of a radical organization or foreign government.

The incident occurred on Wednesday aboard flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The co-pilot, identified in multiple reports as Hamam al-Hammami, attacked and injured Captain Smit Machchhar using an emergency crash axe stored in the cockpit. He was subsequently overpowered by passengers and another crew member present on the aircraft, allowing a second crew to land the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination.” He praised the captain, passengers, and crew for preventing a disaster comparable to the September 11 attacks. The UAE’s attorney-general, Hamad al-Shamsi, confirmed the attempt constituted a “terrorist act” and pledged that investigations would determine the full circumstances, motives, and any potential links.

According to sources familiar with the probe, the suspect told investigators that after wounding the captain, he intended to pilot the Boeing 737 MAX—carrying over 180 people—into Israeli airspace and obtain landing clearance from Ben Gurion. His plan was then to deliberately crash the aircraft into the airport infrastructure or a tower block in central Tel Aviv, mimicking the tactics used by al-Qaeda in 2001.

Further details emerged over the weekend as al-Hammami continued to be questioned in the UAE, with Israeli representatives receiving updates. Sources also revealed that the co-pilot had previously considered hijacking an earlier flight to Tel Aviv but abandoned the idea because he recognized someone on board.

The incident has sparked questions regarding significant security failures, particularly how the attacker was recruited by Flydubai and cleared to fly a plane满载 with Israelis. Regional officials disclosed that Oman Air had previously barred him from flying due to concerns over his extremist views and reassigned him to an administrative role. He was later hired by the UAE-based carrier after passing standard security checks that did not screen for signs of radicalization.

Complicating matters further, Israeli aviation regulations prohibit pilots from countries without formal diplomatic ties with Israel, such as Oman, from operating flights to the country. Additionally, regional officials told the Associated Press that Emirati authorities shared a list of passengers and crew for flight FZ1073 with Israel prior to departure. However, Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security agency stated that the transport ministry was responsible for vetting such lists from foreign airlines. Transport Minister Miri Regev countered that her ministry never received these lists, asserting that security oversight for foreign carriers falls under the jurisdiction of Shin Bet and Mossad.

In response to the breach, Prime Minister Netanyahu has instructed the head of the National Security Council to review all security protocols concerning foreign civil aviation flights to Israel. Meanwhile, Australian authorities are examining the co-pilot’s connections to Australia, with local media reporting that he studied in the country between 2015 and 2017.