UAE Confirms Flydubai Co-Pilot Planned Suicide Attack on Ben Gurion Airport

The Attorney General of the United Arab Emirates confirmed reports that the Omani co-pilot who attempted to hijack a Flydubai flight bound for Israel on September 30 intended to carry out a suicide attack at Ben Gurion Airport. According to the Emirati official, Maam Al-Hamami, who was arrested following the incident, planned to crash the plane into the airport grounds. This official confirmation validates suspicions that arose in Israel on the day of the incident, suggesting it was not a crew dispute but a deliberate attempt at mass terror. The prosecutor revealed that Al-Hamami chose his profession after being inspired by the September 11th attacks in the US, with the intention of carrying out a similar act.

UAE investigations found that during his studies in Australia in 2017, Al-Hamami was exposed to extremist materials glorifying terrorism and prepared himself physically and mentally for the attack. The incident occurred on Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children. During the flight, Al-Hamami assaulted the captain and attempted to seize control of the cockpit. The aircraft rapidly lost altitude, but the captain, with the help of crew and passengers, managed to subdue the attacker and make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All passengers were safely evacuated.

Al-Hamami previously worked for Oman Air, which suspended him in 2024 after extremist materials were found in his possession. He later worked for Royal Air Maroc before joining Flydubai this year. Despite prior suspicions, he was assigned to the flight to Israel, even though Oman does not have official diplomatic relations with the country.

The attempted attack exposed significant failures in foreign aviation security for Israel. The Ministry of Transport admitted it lacks the personnel and authority for comprehensive background checks on foreign airline crews, relying heavily on the airlines' own vetting. It also emerged that the ministry is unaware if pilots from countries hostile to Israel have entered the country in recent years. A classified Knesset discussion revealed that approximately 1,240 aircrew members from countries without diplomatic ties to Israel, including Syria, Oman, and Lebanon, entered Israel last year. Consequently, the National Security Council was tasked with coordinating with the Mossad and Shin Bet to identify high-threat countries whose aircrew will require advance security screening.

In response to the incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the head of the National Security Council to appoint an examiner to review all security aspects of foreign flights to Israel. The attempted hijacking also led to the suspension of Flydubai flights to Israel and a dispute between Israel and the UAE over security requirements, impacting Israeli airlines operating the route to Dubai.