Flydubai Copilot Allegedly Planned to Crash Plane into Tel Aviv or Ben Gurion Airport

Fresh reports surrounding the Flydubai Flight FZ1073 cockpit attack have revealed an alleged plan by co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami to seize control of the aircraft and use it to attack a target in Israel. According to Israeli and Italian media reports, al-Hammami allegedly intended to crash the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight into a skyscraper in Tel Aviv, with Ben Gurion International Airport reportedly considered as an alternative target. The claims are part of an ongoing investigation and have not yet been established as final findings. UAE authorities have confirmed that al-Hammami attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with a cockpit crash axe in what they described as an attempted terrorist act. Reuters

The attack began after the aircraft had taken off from Dubai. Machchhar has said that al-Hammami asked to pray before suddenly attacking him from behind. Despite suffering serious injuries and initially struggling to open the cockpit door, the captain fought back and eventually managed to unlock it. Passengers and crew members then intervened, while off-duty pilots helped stabilise the aircraft after its sharp descent. The flight ultimately made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where the suspect was detained. Reports about an alleged plan to deliberately crash the aircraft and the co-pilot’s previous activities are still being investigated by authorities in the UAE, Israel and Saudi Arabia.