Dubai Airlines co-pilot tells UAE court he planned crash into Tel Aviv airport
In short
A Dubai Airlines co-pilot, named in the reports as Oman national Hamam Hammami, told a court in the United Arab Emirates that he had planned to fly a passenger jet directly into Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, according to Israeli sources cited by Chinese outlets. The account says he attacked the captain on Sept 30 while the aircraft was over Jordan and intended to wait until the plane neared the airport so Israeli aircraft could not intercept it; the injured captain opened the cockpit door and stopped him. The reports give no comment from Dubai Airlines or UAE authorities.
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A co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of a Dubai Airlines passenger jet told a court in the United Arab Emirates that he had planned to fly the aircraft directly into Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, according to Israeli sources cited on Oct 4 in reports by CLS, Jiemian and Xinhua. The reports name the co-pilot as Hamam Hammami, an Oman national. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to the account, Hammami attacked the captain on Sept 30 while the aircraft was over Jordan. He intended to let the flight continue normally until it was close to Ben Gurion airport, at a point when Israeli military aircraft would not have time to intercept it, and then to fly into the airport terminal, the reports said. The injured captain opened the cockpit door “at all costs” and foiled the attempt, they said. [ 1 , 2 ]
Israeli sources said Hammami told interrogators he had planned the attack before Dubai Airlines hired him. He had studied which airlines operate flights to Tel Aviv and applied to them, and was eventually hired by Dubai Airlines, the reports said. [ 1 , 2 ]
The reports do not say which court in the United Arab Emirates heard the testimony or when, what charges Hammami faces, or what his current status is, and they contain no comment from Dubai Airlines or UAE authorities. Jiemian attributed its account to CCTV News, while Xinhua, publishing later, carried only a headline and attributed the account to Israeli media. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
If the account is borne out, it describes an airline flight-crew member allegedly planning a mass-casualty attack on a civilian airport, which would put hiring and vetting of pilots in focus. The details emerge through a legal proceeding in the United Arab Emirates involving an airline named Dubai Airlines. The documents contain no response from the airline or from UAE authorities, so the allegations remain attributed to Israeli sources.
Key facts
- Israeli sources cited in the reports said the co-pilot, Hamam Hammami, an Oman national, told a court in the United Arab Emirates that he had planned to fly a Dubai Airlines passenger jet directly into Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The account says he attacked the captain on Sept 30 while the aircraft was over Jordan. [ 1 , 2 ]
- He intended to let the flight continue normally until it was close to Ben Gurion, when Israeli aircraft would not have time to intercept it, and then to fly into the airport terminal, according to the reports. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The injured captain opened the cockpit door and foiled the attempt, the reports said. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Israeli sources said he stated in questioning that he had planned the attack before being hired, had researched which airlines operate flights to Tel Aviv and had applied to them before being hired by Dubai Airlines. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Xinhua reported the claim in a headline-only item, attributing it to Israeli media. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Israeli sources cited in the reports say a Dubai Airlines co-pilot identified as Hamam Hammami, an Oman national, told a court in the United Arab Emirates that he had planned to fly the passenger jet directly into Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- According to the account, he attacked the captain on Sept 30 while the aircraft was over Jordan, planning to wait until the plane neared Ben Gurion so that Israeli aircraft would not have time to intercept it. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The captain, who was injured, opened the cockpit door and stopped the attempt, the reports said. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Israeli sources said Hammami stated in questioning that he had planned the attack before being hired and had studied which airlines fly to Tel Aviv before joining Dubai Airlines. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the account has been independently corroborated. All three documents trace to the same line of reporting — Israeli sources relayed by CCTV News and reported by Chinese outlets — and none cites UAE authorities or the airline.
- Which court in the United Arab Emirates is hearing the case, when the testimony was given, what charges Hammami faces and what his current status is. The documents do not provide these details.
- The extent of the captain's injuries and whether anyone else on board was hurt. The documents refer only to an injured captain and give no further detail on casualties.
- Any response from Dubai Airlines or from authorities in the United Arab Emirates. No comment from either is included in the documents.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The co-pilot attacks the captain aboard the Dubai Airlines flight while the aircraft is over Jordan, according to the account cited by Israeli sources. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Israeli sources report the interrogation statements, including the alleged plan to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion airport. [ 1 , 2 ]
- CLS publishes its report on the claim. [ 1 ]
- Jiemian publishes its report, citing CCTV News. [ 2 ]
- Xinhua publishes a headline item attributing the account to Israeli media. [ 3 ]