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The co-pilot behind last week's attempted hijacking of a flydubai passenger jet allegedly intended to fly the aircraft into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport or a prominent tower block in the Israeli city, according to reports from US and Israeli officials. The suspect, an Omani national whom multiple reports have named as Hamam al-Hammami, is described as a "lone wolf" extremist who appears to have acted without direction from any organised group.
The incident unfolded last Wednesday aboard flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX carrying more than 180 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to the United Arab Emirates' attorney-general, the co-pilot attacked and wounded the captain, Capt Smit Machchhar, using the emergency crash axe stored inside the cockpit. He was eventually overpowered by passengers on board, and a separate crew member travelling on the flight was able to take control and land the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.
Details of the alleged plot emerged over the weekend as the co-pilot continued to be questioned by authorities in the UAE, with Israeli representatives receiving updates on the investigation. Israeli media, citing sources familiar with the probe, reported that the suspect told interrogators he had planned to continue flying the aircraft normally into Israeli airspace after subduing the captain, requesting landing clearances from Ben Gurion airport as though nothing were wrong.
Once cleared to land, he allegedly intended to crash the jet into the airport itself or into a high-rise building in central Tel Aviv, mirroring the tactics used by al-Qaeda in the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States. The sources quoted in the reports said the co-pilot was most likely acting alone rather than on behalf of a radical organisation or a foreign government.
The suspect also reportedly admitted to investigators that he had considered hijacking and crashing an earlier flight to Tel Aviv but abandoned the plan because he knew someone travelling on that aircraft. There has been no immediate comment from either Emirati or Israeli authorities regarding these specific claims.
UAE Attorney-General Hamad al-Shamsi said on Saturday that his country's investigation would establish the full circumstances, motives and any links connected to the incident, with results to be announced once the inquiry concludes. The case has prompted intense scrutiny of how the attacker was recruited by flydubai and granted clearance to operate a flight carrying Israeli passengers into Tel Aviv.
Regional officials have said the co-pilot had been barred from flying by Oman's national carrier, Oman Air, and was moved into an administrative role because of concerns about his extremist views. He was subsequently hired by UAE-based flydubai after undergoing standard security checks, which officials say did not examine his background for potential signs of radicalisation.
The incident has also highlighted gaps in aviation security protocols. Israeli regulations state that pilots who are citizens of countries without formal diplomatic relations with Israel, such as Oman, are not permitted to operate flights into the country. Regional officials told the Associated Press on Sunday that Emirati authorities had shared a list of passengers and crew with Israel prior to flight FZ1073's departure.
Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency said the transport ministry bore responsibility for vetting such lists provided by foreign airlines. However, Transport Minister Miri Regev countered that her ministry had not been given passenger and crew lists, arguing that security oversight for flights operated by foreign carriers falls under the remit of both the Shin Bet and the Mossad foreign intelligence agency. The conflicting accounts have raised questions about accountability and coordination between Israeli agencies.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the head of the National Security Council to review "all security aspects regarding foreign civil aviation to Israel." He has also said the co-pilot underwent "Islamist radical indoctrination" and credited the captain, passengers and the second crew member with preventing what he described as "a 9/11 disaster."
The incident has drawn international attention, with Australian authorities investigating the co-pilot's links to their country. Sources have told local media that he studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017, and investigators are examining whether that period played any role in his radicalisation. The outcome of that inquiry could add further detail to the emerging picture of the suspect's background and movements.
The attack has also raised broader concerns about the vetting of aviation personnel across the region, particularly on routes serving Israel. Security analysts note that while airline crew members undergo routine background checks, these procedures may not always capture signs of ideological extremism or self-radicalisation, especially when individuals move between employers and jurisdictions.
The fact that the co-pilot had previously been flagged by Oman Air yet was later hired by flydubai has become a central focus of the investigation. Officials have suggested that standard security screening at the UAE carrier did not include a specific assessment for radicalisation indicators, underscoring potential weaknesses in hiring practices for cockpit crew operating international routes.
Passengers and crew aboard FZ1073 are being credited with preventing a far deadlier outcome. The captain, despite being wounded in the attack, and the passengers who subdued the assailant, alongside the additional crew member who landed the aircraft in Saudi Arabia, have been widely praised for their roles in averting catastrophe. A second flydubai plane later transported the stranded passengers from Saudi Arabia to Israel.
As the investigation continues in the UAE, with Israeli officials being kept informed, several key questions remain unanswered. These include the precise motives behind the alleged plot, whether any radical networks or contacts influenced the suspect, and how security failures allowed an individual with known extremist concerns to end up in control of a commercial airliner bound for Tel Aviv. The findings, once released, are expected to shape future aviation security policies in both the UAE and Israel.
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