Omani Co-Pilot Arrested for Alleged Plot to Crash Flydubai Flight into Ben Gurion Airport
An Omani co-pilot arrested in the UAE allegedly planned to crash a Flydubai flight into Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in a 9/11-style attack, according to interrogation reports. The plot was foiled after the Indian captain survived an assault and restrained the attacker. Hamam al-Hammami allegedly told investigators he intended to kill Captain Smit Machchhar, fly the aircraft normally, and deliberately crash it into a building or aircraft at the airport. He reportedly timed the attack over Jordan to leave little time for detection, and chose Flydubai specifically for its Tel Aviv route. Al-Hammami had allegedly planned the attack before joining Flydubai and scouted the airport during a June visit to Israel. He had been barred from flying in Oman over extremist concerns, prompting questions about vetting and information sharing between aviation authorities.