FlyDubai attacker reportedly targeted Tel Aviv Airport: How did he get into the cockpit?

The terrifying incident aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 may have had an even darker objective. Investigators believe the suspected FlyDubai attacker intended to crash the aircraft into Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport. Two senior US officials and an Israeli source familiar with the investigation shared the finding with ABC News.

Ben Gurion is the main international airport serving Tel Aviv. The suspected target adds a disturbing new dimension to the Sept. 30 cockpit attack.

Yet the allegation has not been announced as a final finding by the United Arab Emirates. UAE authorities have confirmed an attempted terrorist act aboard the aircraft. Their investigation into the motive and possible connections remains open.

What happened aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073?

Flight FZ1073 left Dubai for Tel Aviv with 182 people aboard, including eight crew members.

The journey appeared normal until violence broke out inside the cockpit. UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe. He then allegedly tried to seize the aircraft’s controls.

A crash axe is normally stored inside the cockpit for emergencies. Investigators initially faced questions about how a weapon had passed airport security. Confirmation about the axe offered a possible answer.

The Boeing 737 then dropped by around 17,000 feet. Captain Machchhar suffered serious injuries during the struggle. He later said he realised the aircraft was descending while he lay wounded on the cockpit floor.


Machchhar managed to make one final effort to open the cockpit door. Passengers and other crew members entered. The suspected attacker was overpowered.

Two reserve pilots later took control and landed the aircraft at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. No passengers were killed.

Was Tel Aviv airport the intended target?

ABC News reported that the alleged plan was to continue towards Israel and crash into Ben Gurion Airport.

The claim was attributed to US officials and an Israeli source. UAE prosecutors have not publicly identified a specific target.

Official confirmation from the UAE goes only as far as saying the co-pilot had planned an attempted terrorist act. Authorities said he attacked the captain and tried to control the plane. Digital evidence is still being examined.

Reuters later reported that two Israeli officials believed the plot was formed before the co-pilot joined FlyDubai. One source claimed he had considered carrying out an attack during an earlier flight to Tel Aviv but abandoned the idea. FlyDubai has not confirmed those allegations.

Who is the suspected FlyDubai attacker?

Media organisations and Israeli officials have identified the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. UAE authorities have not publicly named him in their official statements.

ABC News reported that al-Hammami worked as a trainee co-pilot at Oman Air in 2024. Sources said he was suspended from flying after extremist material was allegedly found in his possession.

He was reportedly moved to an administrative role. FlyDubai later hired him. Investigators are now examining how he passed the airline’s recruitment process. Officials are also asking how he was assigned to a flight bound for Israel.

Oman and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations. No public evidence suggests Omani nationality alone made al-Hammami ineligible for employment. His presence on the route has still prompted questions about the checks applied to crews flying into Israeli airspace.

Australia investigates the co-pilot’s past

Attention has also turned to al-Hammami’s reported years in Australia. RMIT University in Melbourne confirmed that the individual named in media reports had enrolled there. He did not complete his engineering qualification.

A source told The Guardian that he received an Australian student visa in 2014. He arrived the following year and left the country in 2017. His visa was cancelled in 2019 after officials confirmed he was no longer studying.

Australia’s federal police said the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team was examining his links to the country. The team includes the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police. ASIO is also involved.

No evidence has emerged linking him to other students accused of extremist activity during the same period.

Buckinghamshire New University in Britain also confirmed that a student with the same name completed a distance-learning aviation management course. The university stressed that it provided no pilot training.

What happens to FlyDubai’s Tel Aviv flights now?

FlyDubai suspended services between Dubai and Tel Aviv after the incident. A date for their return has not been announced.

UAE investigators are studying physical evidence and the aircraft’s technical data. Hiring records may also come under close examination.

FlyDubai has said it is supporting the official investigation. The airline has declined to discuss the details while inquiries continue.

Israeli authorities are reviewing security arrangements for foreign airlines entering the country. The investigation may lead to tighter background checks for pilots assigned to sensitive international routes.

FAQs

Who was the suspected FlyDubai attacker?

Media outlets and Israeli officials have identified him as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. UAE authorities have not publicly confirmed his name.

Did the attacker plan to hit Tel Aviv airport?

ABC News reported that investigators believe Ben Gurion International Airport was the intended target. UAE prosecutors have confirmed an attempted terrorist act but have not officially named the target.