A FlyDubai co-pilot who attacked the captain of a commercial flight last month had plotted to seize the aircraft and deliberately slam it into the passenger terminal at Tel Aviv’s main international airport, UAE prosecutors disclosed Friday.
The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, carried out the assault on September 30 with the goal of causing mass casualties. The majority of the 174 passengers aboard the flight were Israeli nationals.
UAE Public Prosecutor officials stated that Hammami drew direct inspiration from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. He reportedly used two prior flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv to scout the route and study the airport layout in advance.
Authorities said Hammami provided a full confession in the presence of his attorney, detailing his motives and the step-by-step planning behind the attack. He told investigators he acted entirely alone with no outside coordination or assistance.
Prosecutors believe Hammami became radicalized at a mosque in Australia while studying at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2017. FlyDubai’s internal security and professional screening processes had not flagged any extremist behavior or warning signs prior to the incident.
The attack unfolded over the skies of Jordan and Saudi Arabia when Hammami struck the aircraft captain with a crash axe inside the cockpit. The captain, identified as Smit Machchhar, was badly injured but managed to force open the cockpit door and alert the crew and passengers before collapsing.
Passengers on board physically restrained Hammami while others helped stabilize the aircraft. The plane had dropped approximately 14,000 to 16,000 feet in under a minute during the violent struggle for control.
Two reserve pilots who were traveling on the flight stepped in and successfully guided the aircraft to an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. No passengers were killed in the incident.
Friday’s statement from the UAE’s top prosecutor represented the most detailed official account released since UAE authorities assumed control of the investigation shortly after the attack. FlyDubai is a state-owned carrier operating under the government of Dubai.