The co-pilot of a flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv attempted to commandeer the aircraft last week in what United Arab Emirates prosecutors identified as part of a premeditated plan to conduct a suicide attack on Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv. The suspect, identified as Hammam al-Hammami, attacked the plane’s Indian pilot with an emergency axe but was unable to prevent the injured pilot from accessing the cockpit security door, which allowed passengers to overpower him.
Following the attack, passengers worked to stabilize the aircraft, which was ultimately landed safely in Saudi Arabia with assistance from an off-duty relief pilot who was among the approximately 180 people on board. Dr Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, the attorney-general of the UAE, confirmed that al-Hammami is in Emirati custody and has confessed to planning what he described as a terrorist operation intended to maximize casualties at the airport.
Investigators determined that al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national employed by the government-owned low-cost carrier, underwent a process of radicalization while studying in Australia. Prosecutors stated he was exposed to hardline takfiri ideology through extremist literature and online materials promoting terrorist organizations and suicide attacks. Al-Shamsi indicated that al-Hammami drew inspiration from historical terrorist incidents and developed the idea of using an aircraft as a weapon as part of his thinking, a motivation that influenced his decision to pursue an aviation career.
Australian and New Zealand authorities have opened investigations after discovering that al-Hammami spent two years as a student in Australia until 2017 and subsequently received flight training in New Zealand approximately a year later. His employment history included positions with Oman Air from 2020 to 2024, Royal Air Maroc beginning in early 2025, and flydubai starting in January 2026. Authorities found evidence that al-Hammami had taken two previous flights to Tel Aviv to familiarize himself with the route and airport. Emirati investigators determined he acted alone, though inquiries continue to confirm this assessment, and security officials have found no evidence of involvement with established terrorist organizations.
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