Hamam al-Hammami, the FlyDubai co-pilot accused of trying to crash a Dubai–Tel Aviv flight, told investigators the attack was his second attempt, Open Source Intel reported. He had readied the same operation in July and then dropped it because he cared about a member of the crew.
Not his first try
FlyDubai Co-Pilot: Crash Bid Was Second Attempt
Hamam al-Hammami told investigators he prepared the same attack in July • He abandoned it because he cared about a crew member | He had sought work at airlines flying to Israel
The case has already reached Israel's standing with Washington. As JFeed reported on October 7, Jerusalem fears the United States may reassess Israel's Visa Waiver Program status over the apparent failure to screen the co-pilot. Israel joined the program in 2023, and membership requires it to receive and review information on passengers and air crews.
The Omani national went looking for jobs at airlines that fly to Israel. His aim was to incapacitate the captain and fly the aircraft into a target such as Ben Gurion Airport.
Warning signs predated his hiring. The Jerusalem Post reported that he had been banned from flying in Oman after showing "radical ideological views."
As JFeed reported, the attack took place on September 30, when the co-pilot stabbed the captain and tried to take control of the aircraft. Passengers and crew overpowered him, and two reserve pilots on board landed the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. JFeed's reports have identified the flight as both FZ1073 and 1274.
UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said al-Hammami "attacked the captain inside the flight deck using a crash axe" before trying to take over the controls. On October 5, JFeed reported that Emirati prosecutors had charged him with attempted terrorism, a charge that can carry the death penalty under UAE law. Al-Hammami, 29, is an Omani citizen born in the UAE. ABC News reported at the time that he had told investigators he intended to crash the plane inside Israel.
