Hijacker Told UAE Investigators He Sought Job on Flights to Tel Aviv

An investigation is ongoing in the United Arab Emirates into Homaam Al-Hamami, the co-pilot who attempted to crash a Flydubai flight. Leaked interrogation transcripts reveal Al-Hamami admitted he was seeking employment with any airline and specifically checked which companies flew to Tel Aviv, which is why he chose Flydubai. He claimed this plan predated his hiring.

An Israeli investigation team arrived in the UAE to participate in Al-Hamami's interrogation, alongside security officials from other nations. Investigators are examining suspicions that Al-Hamami previously traveled to Israel and believe he acted alone. Security officials have called for an inquiry into the airline's failure to screen for religious extremism and proposed barring pilots from countries without diplomatic ties to Israel.

In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the National Security Council head to appoint an examiner to conduct a thorough review of security aspects related to foreign civilian aviation operating in Israel. This directive comes amid accusations exchanged between the Ministry of Transportation and security agencies.

The Ministry of Transportation refuted claims linking foreign flights to chartered flights, stating that leaked documents pertain only to chartered flights, not general foreign aviation. The ministry asserted that its security department has been responsible for foreign aviation arrangements since 1977, with responsibility for non-Shin Bet-secured chartered flights transferring only in early 2026. The ministry also stated it is not an intelligence body and lacks the tools for background checks, noting that Flydubai received explicit instructions but the crew list was not provided to the ministry. Yair Golan, Chairman of the Democrats, sharply criticized the situation, calling it "complete rot and existential negligence by the government of destruction."