UAE investigators say flydubai co-pilot was planning ‘terrorist act’

The co-pilot of a Flydubai flight bound for Israel assaulted the pilot with a crash axe, according to the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general. The Boeing aircraft, carrying more than 170 passengers, plummeted 17,000 feet (5,200 meters) approximately two and a half hours into its journey before passengers managed to overpower the attacker and regain control of the plane. The incident occurred during the flight's descent, prompting the pilots to signal a general emergency code (7700) and later a hijacking code (7500).

The attacker, identified as an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami, was reportedly removed from his previous position at Oman Air due to concerns about his radical views. Al-Hammami had recently completed a three-year distance-learning course in aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University in the UK, where he graduated in 2023. However, he did not receive any pilot training at the institution.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that after the attacker was subdued, he called out to the crew, "Kill me, kill me!" He also suggested that the attacker was suicidal, believing the individual was attempting to bring the plane down. Netanyahu further alleged that the attacker had undergone Islamist radical indoctrination.

The UAE's attorney general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, confirmed that the incident was deemed a "terrorist act" and that investigations were underway to determine the full circumstances and motives of the event.

Passenger Almog Itali described the sudden drop of the aircraft, likening it to a rollercoaster, stating that it fell for 20 to 30 seconds before stabilizing. Israeli President Isaac Herzog reported that the alarm was raised by an Israeli woman, Tali Manes, who heard a commotion from the cockpit. Upon entering, passengers, including Zvika Manes, Yaniv Hayun, Dr Shota Musayev, and Asaf Rajuan, subdued the attacker by choking him and pulling him out of the cockpit. Another pilot then took control of the aircraft.