Flydubai Pilot Confessed to Planning Israel Crash, Media Reports

New details have emerged regarding the investigation into the attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight from the UAE to Tel Aviv, with foreign media reporting on the interrogation of the second pilot, a 29-year-old Omani national named Hamam al-Hahami. Sources cited by The Wall Street Journal indicate that al-Hahami had undergone an Islamist radicalization process, leading Omani authorities to previously ban him from flying. Despite this ban, the newspaper claims Flydubai hired al-Hahami and allowed him to fly to Israel on a route considered sensitive, where he then attempted to crash the plane with all aboard.

According to ABC News, al-Hahami confessed during interrogation that his intention was to crash the aircraft over Israeli territory, an act that some have compared to the 9/11 attacks. The report also states that al-Hahami was found with extremist materials in 2024 while working as a trainee pilot for Oman Air, after which he was grounded but allowed to continue in an administrative role. Investigators are now trying to understand how he was subsequently hired by Flydubai and allowed to pilot a flight to Israel, especially after being flagged by security services.

CNN reported that al-Hahami, who was born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother and lived in the UAE for many years, had worked for Flydubai for only eight months. Saudi-based Al Arabiya cited sources stating that Omani authorities had grounded him due to "extremist views" and that he had been influenced by "extremist ideas" during a past stay in Syria. After being banned from flying in Oman, he left the country and later moved to the UAE.

On Wednesday, September 30, the Omani second pilot attempted to seize control of flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport. The captain, Smith Machchar, reportedly fought with him, and with the apparent help of passengers and crew, al-Hahami was subdued and control of the aircraft was regained. The plane was then safely landed in Saudi Arabia by other pilots on board.

While U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Iranian involvement and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu stated in a video that "certain forces" might be behind the attempt, Israeli security officials currently assess that the pilot acted alone. Netanyahu also stated in a video that "whoever sent him will pay a very high price." A key question for Israel is how al-Hahami, who was previously banned from flying in Oman, was hired for the flight, especially given that airlines are required to provide passenger and crew data to Israel's National Passenger Data Analysis Center (MALAN) for security checks.

Knesset members Efrat Reiten, Ram Ben-Barak, Hili Tropper, and Oded Forer have requested an urgent meeting with the head of the Shin Bet to discuss reports of prior warnings about security issues on flights from the UAE. They emphasized the passengers' and crew's heroism in preventing a catastrophe and called for a review of aviation security systems and the actions of responsible authorities.

Meanwhile, Flydubai has suspended all flights to Israel until further notice, extending a previous suspension to October 15. Etihad Airways announced it would operate two additional flights from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv on Saturday, October 3, to help return passengers to Israel.