FlyDubai co-pilot allegedly planned to crash aircraft into Tel Aviv airport, reports say

The co-pilot of a FlyDubai flight is now reported to have planned to crash the aircraft into Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport, according to multiple reports citing people close to the investigation. In the first public comments from Emirati investigators, UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said the co-pilot of flight FZ1073 "attempted to carry out a terrorist attack" when he attacked the captain with an axe and tried to take control of the aircraft. The flight was bound for Israel and carried more than 180 passengers, according to the supplied material.

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The reports say the suspect, identified by multiple sources as Omani national Hamam Al-Hammami, may have acted alone and had prepared the alleged attack over several months. They also say he had previously flown to Israel to gather information, and that investigators are examining whether he had once considered targeting an earlier flight to Tel Aviv before changing his mind. Israeli media quoted in the supplied material say Israel has asked the United Arab Emirates to expand questioning to include the flight crew as the inquiry continues.

The case has drawn attention because it involves an alleged insider attack in the cockpit of a commercial passenger flight, a scenario aviation security experts generally regard as difficult to prevent. The route between Dubai and Tel Aviv is politically sensitive, and the allegation that the suspect intended to use normal approach and landing procedures before crashing at the last moment has intensified scrutiny of crew vetting and cockpit access. The supplied material says security agencies from four regional countries, including Israel, are working with the UAE-led investigation, with support from the United States and other Western governments.

The co-pilot accused of trying to hijack a Flydubai flight is now reported to have planned to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion airport or a tower block in Tel Aviv. According to the supplied material, the man was an Omani national and investigators have described the case as a possible terrorist act. The flight was operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the alleged attack took place last Wednesday.

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The reports say the captain was wounded with the emergency crash axe kept in the cockpit before the co-pilot was overpowered by passengers. Another crew member on board was then able to land the aircraft in Saudi Arabia, and a second Flydubai plane later flew the stranded passengers from Saudi Arabia to Israel. The aircraft was a Boeing 737 MAX carrying more than 180 passengers, according to the supplied material.

The new details deepen an already serious aviation-security case because they point to an alleged insider attack on a commercial passenger flight with a mass-casualty target. Israeli reports cited in the supplied material say the suspect told investigators he intended to continue flying normally into Israeli airspace before seeking landing clearance and then crashing the plane. The same reports say he may have acted alone, rather than on behalf of a wider organisation or foreign state.

The case has drawn attention because it involves the cockpit of a civilian aircraft, the route between Dubai and Tel Aviv, and the possibility of a deliberate strike on a major airport or central city building. The UAE attorney-general has said investigators will establish the full circumstances, motives and any links related to the incident, and that the results will be announced when the inquiry is complete. The Israeli prime minister has also said the captain, passengers and a second crew member prevented what he described as a major disaster.

The supplied material says the suspect is being questioned in the United Arab Emirates, with Israeli representatives being updated on the probe. It also says investigators are examining whether he had previously considered attacking an earlier flight to Tel Aviv, but changed his mind because he knew someone on board. Those claims have not been independently verified in the supplied rows, but they indicate that investigators are looking at both motive and planning.

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What remains unclear is whether formal charges will follow, whether any wider network will be identified, and how the suspect's alleged intentions were formed. It is also not yet clear whether the case will prompt any immediate changes to cockpit security or crew screening on flights serving Israel. Further official statements are expected as the investigation continues.

Israeli media have reported new allegations in the case of a Flydubai flight in which a co-pilot is said to have attacked a colleague in the cockpit and planned a mass-casualty crash. According to the supplied material, investigators believe the pilot intended to continue flying normally before steering the aircraft into Ben Gurion airport in Israel. If that was not possible, reports say he had a fallback plan to crash into a United States military base in Jordan.

The same reports say the aircraft was carrying 174 passengers when the incident unfolded on Wednesday, and that the pilot is now being interrogated in the United Arab Emirates. The pilot is identified in the supplied material as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami. The material also says he allegedly waited until the plane was in Jordanian airspace before stabbing the captain, and that the flight later descended nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before being brought under control.

The new details add to an already serious aviation-security case that has been publicly described by the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general as a terrorist attack. The route from Dubai to Tel Aviv is politically sensitive, and the allegation that the attacker was a member of the flight crew has intensified scrutiny of cockpit access and crew vetting. The supplied material also says a reserve Flydubai pilot on board helped take control of the aircraft, which then landed safely at Tabuk airport in north-western Saudi Arabia.

The case matters because it combines an alleged insider attack, a commercial passenger flight and possible cross-border security implications involving Israel, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Aviation security specialists generally regard insider threats as especially difficult to prevent because they can bypass many of the safeguards designed to stop outside interference. The reports also say the pilot had previously been suspended from flying by Oman Air after being identified as a security risk, which may become relevant to any wider review of how he remained in a cockpit role.

The supplied material says investigators are still examining the motive and the sequence of events, including whether the alleged plan was formed earlier and whether any other people were involved. It also says the pilot had once planned the attack in July but did not go ahead after forming a personal relationship with one of the crew members. Those claims have not been independently confirmed in the supplied rows, but they indicate that investigators are looking beyond the immediate cockpit struggle to the planning behind it.

What remains unclear is whether prosecutors will bring formal charges beyond the current interrogation, and whether any wider network or support structure will be identified. The case is likely to remain under close scrutiny because of the number of passengers involved, the alleged targeting of a major airport and the reported fallback plan involving a military base. Further statements from investigators and prosecutors are expected to clarify the legal classification of the case and the extent of any additional security failures.

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