Flydubai hijacker 'dreamed of crashing into Ben-Gurion Airport' and aborted earlier plot ONLY because a friend was on board
From the Newshound archive · first published 4 October 2026 · last updated 5 October 2026.
The injured Omani co-pilot, who Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said had undergone "Islamic radical indoctrination" and was suicidal, with Israel probing whether the attack was state-sponsored.
Hamam al-Hammami, 29, revealed under interrogation that he had plotted the attack before he was even hired by Flydubai, telling investigators his 'dream was to crash into Ben-Gurion Airport' and cause mass casualties. He had travelled to the airport multiple times to gather intelligence, and in July attempted to carry out the hijacking on a different flight — but pulled back when he recognised a crew member he knew on board. Investigators now believe he likely acted as a 'lone wolf' with no ties to a foreign government or organisation, despite Netanyahu's earlier claims of Islamist indoctrination links.
Al-Hammami also considered flying the plane into an Azrieli Tower close to Israel's military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
While studying aviation management remotely at Buckinghamshire New University, al-Hammami posted that women should be 'stomped on' and called for severe Islamic punishments against Jews and gay people.
Al-Hammami reportedly avoided standard vetting at the British university through a loophole, and Oman Air had already barred him from flying in 2024 over extremist concerns before Flydubai hired him without checking.
