Israel Prepared to Shoot Down FlyDubai Jet Amid Hijacking Attempt

Israel had protocols in place to shoot down a FlyDubai passenger jet carrying over 150 Israelis if it had continued on a trajectory toward the country during a hijacking attempt last week, according to CBS News, citing two Israeli sources familiar with the matter. The decision to down the aircraft would have rested solely with the Prime Minister.

On the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with a knife and attempted to crash the plane as it approached Israeli airspace. The captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing Israeli passengers and FlyDubai crew members to subdue the co-pilot. Two off-duty pilots on board then took control of the aircraft and diverted it for an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Upon detecting the plane's sudden descent and loss of communication, the Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets and closed the country's airspace. However, the aircraft turned towards Saudi Arabia, prompting Saudi Arabia to also scramble its own fighter jets. Israeli sources indicated that had the plane remained on course, Israeli fighters would have been dispatched to intercept it, assess the situation, and, if deemed a hijacked threat with no communication, potentially receive authorization to shoot it down to prevent a larger attack.

The co-pilot, identified as Hammam al-Khamami, an Omani citizen, reportedly confessed during interrogation in the UAE that he had planned the attack before joining FlyDubai. He allegedly intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport. Omani authorities had previously grounded al-Khamami due to radical views, but this information was not shared with his new employer.