Alleged Flydubai hijacker likely wanted to target Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, sources say, tell me about this news today

Recent intelligence and interrogation findings reveal that the co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack Flydubai Flight FZ1073 intended to deliberately crash the aircraft into Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.

The Straits Times

The primary details surrounding this development include:

• The Stated Objective: According to regional security sources and interrogation reports, the suspectidentified as Omani national Hammam al-Hammamiallegedly admitted to choosing Flydubai specifically because it routes flights into Israel. His primary plan was to incapacitate the captain, maintain normal radio communications to receive landing clearance, and then deliberately plunge the Boeing 737 MAX into buildings or parked aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport to maximize casualties. Secondary targets allegedly considered included high-rise structures in Tel Aviv or an American military installation in Jordan.

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• The Incident in the Cockpit: Flight FZ1073 was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv carrying around 170 passengers when the co-pilot attacked the aircraft’s captain, Smit Machchhar, with a cockpit crash ax and knife. Despite sustaining severe injuries, the captain managed to unlock the armored cockpit door, enabling passengers and off-duty crew members to rush inside and restrain the attacker.

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• The Descent and Diversion: During the violent struggle over the flight controls, the airliner entered an extreme dive near the Saudi-Jordanian border, dropping roughly 17,000 feet in around a minute and suffering structural damage to its tail and rudder. The crew eventually recovered the plane and safely diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where the suspect was taken into custody before later being transferred to United Arab Emirates authorities.

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• Investigation Findings: UAE prosecutors have categorized the incident as a terrorist act. Current intelligence assessments indicate that the suspect likely acted alone without direct command or funding from an organized militant group. Investigators also noted that he had previously been sidelined by Oman’s national airline over concerns regarding extremist views, which has sparked significant scrutiny across the international aviation community concerning pilot background checks and vetting procedures.

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