Mossad: Flydubai Co-Pilot Visited Enemy States Before Attack

Israel's Mossad, the country's foreign intelligence agency, informed the cabinet that the Flydubai co-pilot accused of attempting to crash a Tel Aviv-bound flight had made hasty trips to countries hostile to Israel in recent years, according to Open Source Intel. Intelligence officials are now investigating whether he was recruited during those visits.

"We are checking whether during these visits someone or some organization activated or recruited him," a Mossad representative stated during the cabinet briefing, Open Source Intel reported.

The disclosure matters for anyone flying to or from Israel: authorities are working to determine whether the co-pilot acted alone or was directed by a terror organization, raising questions about aviation security screening and the vetting of flight crews on routes to the Jewish state.

The revelation adds a layer to the investigation into Hamam al-Hammami, 29, the Omani co-pilot who attacked his captain with a cockpit axe and attempted to seize control of flight FZ1073 last week. UAE prosecutors have formally charged al-Hammami with attempted terrorism, a classification that could carry the death penalty under Emirati law, as JFeed reported.

Al-Hammami has told investigators he intended to crash the plane inside Israel, ABC News reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the probe. An Italian investigation published by Corriere della Sera revealed that beyond stabbing the captain and forcing the aircraft into a steep dive, al-Hammami appears to have shut down both engines while the Boeing 737 was at altitude, as JFeed reported.

The attack was thwarted when four Israeli passengers, Yaniv Hayon, Dr. Shota Musayev, Zvika Manes, and Asaf Rejwan, stormed the cockpit and overpowered al-Hammami after the wounded captain managed to open the door. The aircraft lost approximately sixteen thousand feet in under a minute before the passengers regained control.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev has demanded that all Flydubai flights to Israel be halted until the investigation concludes. She noted that Flydubai's agreement to operate in Israel requires pilots on flights to the country to be citizens of states with which Israel maintains formal diplomatic relations. Oman does not have such ties with Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post.