Flydubai co-pilot plotted ‘suicide’ attack on Israel, UAE says
Also reported by Guardian World, France24
Summary
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said a Flydubai co-pilot tried to crash a plane into Israel’s Tel Aviv airport in a planned “suicide” attack. The co-pilot stabbed the captain during the flight, but crew and passengers stopped the attack, and reserve pilots safely landed the plane.Key Facts
- The attack happened on September 30 on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
- The co-pilot, reportedly Hamam al-Hammami from Oman, planned to crash the plane at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.
- He studied previous flights to Tel Aviv to learn the route and airport layout.
- He acted alone and confessed his extremist motives to investigators.
- Signs of his extremist views appeared as early as 2017 while he was in Australia.
- During the flight, he stabbed the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, causing a fight in the cockpit.
- Passengers and crew helped stop the co-pilot, and two reserve pilots landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.
- The investigation showed he met all professional and security requirements before joining Flydubai.
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