Flydubai Co-Pilot Practiced Israel Route Twice for Suicide Attack

Co-pilot Hamam Al-Hamami made at least two prior flights to Tel Aviv as part of his preparations for a suicide attack on a Flydubai flight to Israel, according to an official statement from the UAE Attorney General, Hamad Saif Al-Shamsi. These earlier flights were used by Al-Hamami to familiarize himself with the flight path and the layout of Ben Gurion Airport, with the goal of maximizing casualties in a suicide bombing, similar to the September 11th attacks.

Al-Hamami reportedly drew direct inspiration from the 9/11 attacks, with the idea of carrying out a similar act using an airplane solidifying in his mind and influencing his decision to pursue a career in aviation. Authorities described the plan as a premeditated plot with a terrorist objective, intending to hijack the plane and crash it into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport.

The attempted hijacking occurred on September 30th during a regular flight from Dubai to Israel. Al-Hamami attacked the captain, Captain Smith Majchar, with an emergency axe in the cockpit and attempted to seize control of the aircraft. However, passengers and crew members managed to overpower him after a dramatic struggle lasting several minutes. Two additional pilots on board took control and safely landed the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Captain Majchar, despite his severe injuries, managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and assist in subduing the attacker. Among the passengers who helped were Yeniv Hayon, who assisted in stabilizing the aircraft, and dentist Dr. Shota Musaev, who treated the injured captain. Passengers restrained Al-Hamami with headphone cables until the plane landed safely. Captain Majchar later received praise from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a visit from Dubai's Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed.

Further investigation revealed that Al-Hamami, a 29-year-old Omani citizen, was suspended from flight duties by Oman Air in 2024 due to extremist tendencies and possession of prohibited materials. He reportedly continued to work for the company in a management role before being hired by Flydubai, raising serious questions about the screening processes that allowed him back into a cockpit for a sensitive flight to Israel. Israeli security officials, including representatives from the Shin Bet, are actively involved in Al-Hamami's interrogation in the Emirates. He has reportedly confessed to planning the act as "revenge for what is happening in Gaza."

Dubai authorities have definitively decided that the co-pilot will face the death penalty. Following in-depth investigations by American, Emirati, and Israeli investigators who concluded it was a clear act of planned terrorism, the UAE leadership has ordered that no other sentence be considered. If convicted, Al-Hamami is expected to be executed by hanging, a decision intended to serve as a strong deterrent.