Flydubai co-pilot planned attack before being hired, told interrogators, Israeli officials say

The flydubai co-pilot accused of stabbing his captain in an alleged attempt to crash last week’s Dubai–Israel flight told UAE interrogators he planned the attack before being hired by the airline, according to two Israeli officials with knowledge of the probe, Reuters reported on Monday.

The co-pilot researched which airlines fly to Tel Aviv and chose state-owned flydubai on that basis, the officials said. “I planned it even before I was accepted,” he told interrogators, according to the officials, with one adding: “The dream was to crash into Ben-Gurion Airport.”

A third source briefed on the UAE investigation said the co-pilot had planned to crash Wednesday’s flight, FZ1073, into Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv. He had operated a flight to Tel Aviv earlier this year and intended to hijack it then but changed his mind, the source added — reportedly because someone he knew was on board.

Two sources identified the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national; UAE and Israeli authorities have not publicly disclosed his identity, and Oman has not commented. He is in UAE custody, and the UAE has not announced formal charges. Reuters said it could not independently reach him for comment.

The UAE prosecutor general has called the incident a “terrorist attack”.