Pilot's Terror Plot Against Israel Foiled by Crew, Passengers

A pilot from Oman, Hamam al-Hakami, who was undergoing Islamic radicalization, was able to fly a Flydubai plane to Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, where he allegedly intended to crash the aircraft. Oman had identified al-Hakami's radicalization and removed him from flying duties, but did not dismiss him or revoke his license, instead transferring him to another role within Oman Air and sending him for de-radicalization. The airline did not alert international bodies to his potential danger.

Flydubai hired al-Hakami in 2025 without conducting a thorough background check beyond criminal records and without contacting Oman Air to understand the reason for his dismissal from flying. Israel's security apparatus also failed to detect the threat posed by a pilot from a country with no diplomatic ties to Israel flying into the country. The plot was ultimately thwarted by the actions of the Indian co-pilot, Smith Machchhar, and the heroism of Israeli passengers.

According to interrogation findings, al-Hakami planned to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport's passenger terminal in July, but postponed the attack due to personal reasons. He also considered crashing the plane at a US military base in Jordan if he could not reach Israel. He had reportedly visited Syria in his youth, where his mother was born, potentially marking the beginning of his radicalization. He also studied in Australia and the UK.

Following the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged significant security failures and ordered an internal review of foreign civil aviation security. This review will be led by the head of the National Security Council and will not have investigative or enforcement powers. A state comptroller's report from May 2024 had already highlighted serious gaps in international civil aviation security, recommending a joint review by multiple government bodies, which had not been implemented.

Responsibility for foreign flight security in Israel is officially with the Ministry of Transport, but the relevant departments claim they lack the tools for intelligence checks and rely on departure country security and airline self-regulation. Flydubai violated agreements by using crew from countries without relations with Israel, a breach not detected by the Ministry of Transport, which had not utilized its database for two years. Proposals for a single aviation security authority have been made since 2011 but never enacted.