UAE says FlyDubai co-pilot planned to crash Tel Aviv flight into airport terminal
In short
The co-pilot who attacked the captain of a FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv with an axe last month intended to seize the aircraft and fly it into the passenger terminal at Israel's main international airport, UAE authorities said Friday. The UAE's top prosecutor said the Omani national, identified by The Associated Press as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami, acted alone, drew inspiration from the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and gave a detailed confession in the presence of his lawyer.
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The co-pilot who attacked the captain of a FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv with an axe last month intended to seize control of the airplane and fly it into the passenger terminal at Israel's main international airport, authorities in the United Arab Emirates said Friday, according to The Associated Press. The suspect, an Omani national, did so "with the intention of causing the greatest possible number of human casualties," the UAE's top prosecutor said in a statement carried by the state news agency WAM. Most of the 174 passengers on the flight were from Israel. [ 4 , 5 ]
The statement said the co-pilot "drew inspiration" from the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and used two previous flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv to "familiarize himself with the flight route and the airport." It said none of FlyDubai's security or professional checks had indicated that the pilot, identified by the AP as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami, harbored extremist views or plans to carry out an attack. Reuters reported the UAE said the co-pilot planned a suicide attack on the flight. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 ]
Hammami "admitted that he had acted alone, without the involvement of others," the statement said, adding that he "provided a detailed confession outlining his motives and the stages of planning and execution" in the presence of his lawyer. The statement also suggested he was radicalized at a mosque in Australia while attending the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2017. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Emirati attorney general provided the first official timeline of Hammami's travels before he joined the Dubai airline. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The AP said the update from the public prosecutor Friday was the most comprehensive since the UAE took over the investigation shortly after the incident on Sept. 30. FlyDubai is a government-owned airline, the AP reported. [ 4 , 5 ]
The crisis unfolded in the skies above Jordan and Saudi Arabia, when Hammami attacked the captain, Smit Machchhar, with a crash axe in the cockpit, the AP reported. Bloodied and beaten, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, alerting passengers and crew to the assault. Passengers detained Hammami and helped steady the aircraft, which had plunged roughly 14,000 to 16,000 feet in less than a minute, and two reserve pilots then guided the aircraft. AP photo captions show passengers arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv on Sept. 30 after an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. [ 4 , 5 ]
Why it matters
The statement is the most comprehensive update since the UAE took over the investigation into the Sept. 30 incident, according to the AP, and it gives the first official account of the co-pilot's motive and planning. The prosecutor said none of FlyDubai's security or professional checks had flagged extremist views, a point of concern for an airline the AP describes as government-owned. Most of the 174 passengers on the flight were from Israel.
Key facts
- UAE authorities said Friday the co-pilot intended to seize control of the FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv and fly it into the passenger terminal at Israel's main international airport. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The UAE's top prosecutor said the Omani national acted "with the intention of causing the greatest possible number of human casualties," in a statement carried by state news agency WAM. [ 4 , 5 ]
- The statement said the co-pilot "drew inspiration" from the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and used two previous Dubai-Tel Aviv flights to "familiarize himself with the flight route and the airport." [ 4 , 5 ]
- The suspect, identified by The Associated Press as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami, "admitted that he had acted alone" and gave a detailed confession in the presence of his lawyer, the statement said. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The statement suggested he was radicalized at a mosque in Australia while attending the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2017. [ 4 , 5 ]
- None of FlyDubai's security or professional checks had indicated he harbored extremist views or attack plans, the statement said. [ 4 , 5 ]
- Most of the 174 passengers on the Sept. 30 flight were from Israel; the aircraft plunged roughly 14,000 to 16,000 feet in less than a minute before passengers detained the co-pilot and helped steady it. [ 4 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- How the co-pilot was radicalized. The prosecutor's statement only "suggested" he was radicalized at a mosque in Australia in 2017, according to the AP; no further detail is given.
- The full timeline of Hammami's travels before joining FlyDubai. The Wall Street Journal says the Emirati attorney general provided the first official timeline, but its summary does not give the details.
- What happened after passengers steadied the aircraft. The AP text says two reserve pilots then guided the aircraft, but the article is cut off; AP photo captions refer to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
- The UAE prosecutor said Hammami admitted acting alone and drew inspiration from the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Reported by a single source so far
- The incident occurred on Sept. 30 on a flight carrying 174 passengers, most of them from Israel. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Reuters reports the UAE says the Omani FlyDubai co-pilot planned a suicide attack on the Tel Aviv flight. [ 1 ]
- The Wall Street Journal reports the UAE says the co-pilot planned to crash into the Israeli airport, with the attorney general giving a first official timeline of his travels. [ 3 ]
- The AP reports the UAE prosecutor's statement that the attack aimed at the greatest possible number of casualties. [ 4 , 5 ]