The Media Line: Flydubai Co-Pilot Planned To Crash Plane Into Ben Gurion Airport or Tel Aviv Skyscraper  

Flydubai Co-Pilot Planned To Crash Plane Into Ben Gurion Airport or Tel Aviv Skyscraper  

By The Media Line Staff  

Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly targeted Ben Gurion International Airport and Tel Aviv skyscrapers as he prepared for months to crash an Israel-bound Flydubai jet, reports on his interrogation and Israeli intelligence said Sunday.  

The alleged plot culminated September 30, 2026, aboard Flydubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Hammami attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with a cockpit crash axe, shut down the engines and interfered with the controls, causing the aircraft to plunge 16,000 feet.  

Machchhar, despite suffering severe wounds, succeeded in opening the cockpit door. Israeli passengers and deadheading Flydubai personnel then entered, restrained Hammami and helped bring the aircraft under control. The flight made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.  

Investigators have since received an account indicating that Hammami’s preparations began before Flydubai employed him eight months ago. An Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post that Hammami had investigated which airlines flew to Tel Aviv and sought positions with several of them.  

“I tried to get hired by all the airlines. I planned the operation even before I was accepted by the company,” Hammami said during interrogation.  

He described Ben Gurion Airport as a principal target, saying, “The dream was to crash into Ben-Gurion Airport.”  

Corriere Della Sera reported Sunday, citing Israeli intelligence, that Hammami had also considered striking high-rise buildings in Tel Aviv. His plan envisioned reaching a target before fighter aircraft could stop him.  

Investigators were also told that Hammami gathered information during multiple Flydubai trips between Dubai and Tel Aviv in the preceding months.  

The attack was not his first planned attempt. Hammami intended to act in July 2026 but stopped because of his friendship with a crew member assigned to the flight. Days later, he again traveled to Israel intending to crash an aircraft there but suffered a severe crisis of conscience and ultimately delayed the plan until late September.  

Hammami previously worked for Oman Air, which dismissed him over views described as too close to Islamic extremism, Corriere Della Sera reported.  

Australian authorities are investigating whether Hammami was radicalized while in the country.