UAE says Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Ben Gurion Airport
publishers 106articles 195first reported 1 Oct, 10:06 UTCdeveloping since 1 Oct · 18 editions
United Arab Emirates prosecutors said Friday that a Flydubai co-pilot who tried to seize a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight on September 30 intended to crash the aircraft into the passenger terminal at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.
Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said the 29-year-old Omani suspect had devised a premeditated plot inspired by the September 11, 2001 attacks, with the goal of causing the greatest possible loss of life. Multiple outlets identified him as Hamam al-Hammami.
Prosecutors said the suspect attacked the flight’s captain with an emergency axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft. The injured captain opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the assailant. An off-duty relief pilot then safely landed the plane in Saudi Arabia, according to The Guardian.
Investigators said the suspect had flown the Tel Aviv route twice previously to familiarize himself with the route and airport. He allegedly told investigators, in the presence of his lawyer, that he acted alone and had prepared by consuming extremist material and taking boxing lessons. Authorities are continuing to examine possible accomplices and other connections.
The UAE investigation found that the suspect had met Flydubai’s professional and security requirements, with no warning signs detected during screening. He had previously worked for Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc before joining Flydubai in January 2026. Prosecutors said signs of his alleged radicalization first appeared while he was studying in Australia in 2017.
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Written from 8 articles, 5 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 200 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
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- This version written
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