FlyDubai co-pilot allegedly planned to crash Israel-bound jet
Hamam al-Hammami allegedly planned to crash FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 into Ben Gurion Airport, according to reports on the terrorism investigation.
An airline pilot is supposed to be the last person you worry about. That’s why the news out of Dubai should stop you cold. Hamam al-Hammami, a co-pilot for FlyDubai, allegedly planned to run Flight FZ1073 into Ben Gurion Airport.
Commentary is separate from the original publisher's reporting.
Video Investigators probe background of co-pilot accused in FlyDubai hijacking attempt Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reports on an investigation into an Omani co-pilot who attacked a captain during a FlyDubai flight to Israel.
The FlyDubai co-pilot accused of attacking his captain in an attempted terrorist act aboard an Israel-bound passenger jet allegedly planned to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport, according to new reports on the investigation.
Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported that Hamam al-Hammami told investigators he intended to continue FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 toward Israel as though nothing was wrong, obtain the necessary clearances to approach Ben Gurion Airport and then crash the aircraft into a building or another plane at the airport.
The information reportedly came from investigations by Saudi and Emirati authorities into the incident. Israeli investigators have not questioned al-Hammami directly, according to reporting from Channel 12 and Ynet.
Fox News Digital reached out to the UAE Public Prosecution and FlyDubai seeking confirmation of the reported findings.
Reuters separately reported Monday that a source briefed on the UAE investigation said the Omani co-pilot had planned to crash the flight into Ben Gurion Airport. Two Israeli officials with knowledge of the investigation also told Reuters that al-Hammami said during questioning that he had planned the attack before he was hired by FlyDubai.
Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who allegedly was attacked on a FlyDubai plane heading to Israel on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Israel Foreign Ministry)
The latest details follow last week's dramatic incident aboard Flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain inside the cockpit.
UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said investigators determined that the co-pilot attempted to carry out a terrorist act by attacking the captain with a crash axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft.
A FlyDubai aircraft carrying Israelis who experienced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia is seen parked at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Ariel Schalit/AP)
Passengers and others aboard the flight ultimately intervened, and the aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
Al Shamsi has said the UAE investigation remains underway to determine the full circumstances and motives behind the attack, as well as any potential links to others.
The UAE Public Prosecution has said the final results of the investigation will be announced after the necessary investigative procedures are completed.
Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
An airline pilot is supposed to be the last person you worry about. That’s why the news out of Dubai should stop you cold. Hamam al-Hammami, a co-pilot for FlyDubai, allegedly planned to run Flight FZ1073 into Ben Gurion Airport. He wasn’t some guy smuggling a bomb in his shoe. He was a man with credentials, a uniform, and full access to the controls. A man with credentials is still a terrorist if his loyalties point elsewhere.
Count on the security establishment to praise the investigation, and they should. But the real question is how he ever got the job. Airlines screen for criminal records and suspicious links, but this is an insider threat aimed at a major U.S. ally. The old vetting model treats a clean record as a clean bill of health. That’s not enough. We hand out cockpit keys and then hope nobody turns them against us. Israel knows this threat better than anyone. Ben Gurion is one of the hardest targets in the world, and a co-pilot nearly walked right into it.
There’s a pattern here. Cautious, hard-nosed security gets called an overreaction. The people who scream about profiling are silent when a trusted employee plots mass murder. America should take a lesson. We need to look at everyone, especially those in sensitive positions, with fresh eyes. Trust is not a substitute for vigilance. And maybe our own aviation system has gaps that won’t be found until something blows up. This should be a wake-up call, not a footnote.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.