UAE says Flydubai suspect intended to crash plane into Tel Aviv airport

UAE Prosecutors Say Flydubai Co-Pilot Planned Attack on Tel Aviv Airport

Provpnadvice.com – United Arab Emirates authorities say the Flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking his captain during a September flight intended to take control of the aircraft and fly it into a passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

The suspect, 29-year-old Omani citizen Hamam al-Hammami, was flying aboard an aircraft carrying 182 passengers when the incident unfolded on Sept. 30. UAE prosecutors said Friday that his alleged objective was to create as many casualties as possible by crashing the plane at Israel’s main international airport.

The case has brought renewed attention to cockpit security, crew training and the risks faced by commercial flights even when an attack begins inside the aircraft rather than from outside it. The plane ultimately made a safe emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after passengers, crew members and reserve pilots helped stop the assailant.

Authorities Detail Alleged Preparations

In a statement distributed by the UAE’s state news agency WAM, the country’s top prosecutor said al-Hammami had been motivated by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. Prosecutors said he had made two earlier trips between Dubai and Tel Aviv in order to become familiar with both the flight route and the airport.

They said he later confessed to acting by himself and gave investigators a detailed explanation of his preparations and motives while his lawyer was present.

The allegations add a more detailed account to an event that initially centered on a violent confrontation in the cockpit. The emergency occurred while the Flydubai flight was traveling in an area near Jordan and Saudi Arabia en route to Israel.

Investigators say al-Hammami used an axe to attack Capt. Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot with 17 years of flying experience. The assault left the captain seriously injured at a critical point in the flight.

A Struggle as the Aircraft Lost Altitude

Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to get the cockpit door open, allowing other people on board to respond. Passengers and members of the cabin crew entered the struggle as the aircraft began descending rapidly.

The plane dropped an estimated 14,000 to 16,000 feet in less than a minute before the attacker was restrained. Two reserve pilots then took over the controls and helped stabilize the aircraft before it landed safely in Tabuk.

The incident illustrates how quickly a cockpit emergency can develop into a threat to everyone aboard. A steep, uncontrolled loss of altitude can place intense pressure on pilots, crew and passengers, particularly when those responsible for flying the plane are injured or unable to maintain control.

Passengers were able to assist after the cockpit door was opened, a development that became central to preventing the situation from worsening. Their intervention, together with the actions of the flight crew and reserve pilots, allowed the aircraft to complete an emergency diversion rather than continue toward its scheduled destination.

Captain Describes Final Effort to Reach the Door

Machchhar received medical care in Saudi Arabia and later in Abu Dhabi. In a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he recalled realizing the plane was descending while he remained engaged in the fight.

“When I was on the ground, I realized that the aircraft is going down,” Machchhar said in Hindi. “And I told myself, ‘This is the last push, Smit. The door is right there.’”

Modi praised Machchhar’s actions, describing them as a display of extraordinary courage that prevented an attack resembling the Sept. 11 hijackings.

Modi said the captain showed “the highest form of courage.”

The captain’s account underscores the split-second decisions involved in the emergency. Reaching the door created an opportunity for others to enter the cockpit and intervene, even as the aircraft continued to lose altitude.

Ben Gurion Airport at the Center of the Alleged Plot

Ben Gurion Airport, located near Tel Aviv, is Israel’s principal international gateway and handles substantial passenger traffic. Prosecutors said the planned target was a passenger terminal, a choice they described as intended to maximize casualties.

The UAE statement did not change the immediate outcome of the Sept. 30 flight: the aircraft landed safely, the suspect was restrained, and those aboard survived the episode. But the allegations establish a far broader claimed objective than an assault on the captain alone.

Authorities have emphasized the suspect’s alleged prior travel and stated inspiration as part of their explanation of the case. The planned route from Dubai to Tel Aviv and the location of the intended target have made the episode a significant security matter for aviation officials and the countries connected to the flight.

For travelers, the incident is also a reminder that commercial aviation safety relies on multiple layers of protection: trained pilots, cabin crews, reserve personnel, emergency landing procedures and, in rare crises, the ability of passengers to assist. In this case, each of those elements contributed to stopping an attack before the plane reached Israel.