The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
FlyDubai co-pilot intended to crash plane into Tel Aviv airport, UAE prosecutor says
The statement said the co-pilot “drew inspiration” from the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and indicated he was radicalized at a mosque in Australia.
A UAE prosecutor said a FlyDubai co-pilot who attacked the captain on a Tel Aviv flight last month intended to seize control of the aircraft and fly into the passenger terminal at Israel’s main international airport.
The suspect, an Omani national identified by outlets as Hamam al-Hammami, admitted acting alone and provided a detailed confession outlining motives and planning stages, according to the UAE’s top prosecutor.
The investigation indicates the co-pilot drew inspiration from the September 11 attacks and used two prior Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flights to familiarize himself with the route and airport. Authorities said FlyDubai’s security and professional checks did not indicate any extremist views or attack plans.
The incident occurred during the flight above Jordan and Saudi Arabia, when the co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe in the cockpit. Passengers restrained the attacker, and the captain opened the cockpit door to alert others, enabling an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia with the help of two reserve pilots.
FlyDubai, a government-owned airline, has not released additional details about the security review or the outcomes for those aboard, but the UAE’s update is described as the most comprehensive since it began the probe after the Sept. 30 incident.