Co‑Pilot's Plot: Plan to Crash Plane into Tel Aviv
A flydubai co‑pilot is accused of plotting a hijack that would have sent the aircraft into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport or a skyscraper.
Officials say the Omani national, Hamam al‑Hammami, attacked the captain with an emergency axe and was overpowered by passengers, who forced the plane to land in Saudi Arabia.
Investigations are underway in the UAE and Israel, with questions surfacing about how he passed security checks and was allowed to fly.
Authorities are probing links to extremist groups and overseas training grounds, raising alarm about gaps in airline security protocols.
The incident has reignited calls for tighter oversight of foreign crews and more robust vetting of all passengers and crew embarking on international flights.
- Co‑pilot previously barred by Oman Air due to extremist concerns.
- Flydubai reportedly conducted standard security checks that missed radicalisation signs.
- Deputy Israeli officials confirmed no immediate comment from authorities.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a review of security protocols for all foreign civil aviation flights to Israel.
