FlyDubai Co-Pilot Planned to Crash Jet into Ben-Gurion Airport; Captain Hailed as Hero

Investigators say the Omani co-pilot of a FlyDubai flight bound for Israel planned to kill the captain and crash the jet into Ben-Gurion Airport, with the pilot foiling the hijacking and being hailed as a hero by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The 29-year-old co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, is being interrogated in the United Arab Emirates after being previously banned from flying by Oman's national airline over radicalization concerns and extremist material found in 2024. Captain Smit Machchhar described being attacked from behind while the co-pilot prayed, then fighting back to regain control of the aircraft. Israel has ordered a security review of foreign flights after learning crew and passenger names were sent ahead of the flight, noting pilots from countries without relations with Israel, like Oman, should not fly there. Separately, the U.S. pulled B-1 bombers from a U.K. base over security concerns, and Iran denied involvement in the plot while warning of a fierce response to any further military attacks.