Flydubai co-pilot intended to crash plane into Tel Aviv Airport, inspired by 9/11

United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities reported that a Flydubai co-pilot intentionally planned to crash an aircraft into Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.

On Friday, the UAE’s top prosecutor released key findings from an ongoing investigation into the mid-air attack. According to officials, 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami intended to crash the 182-passenger plane into a crowded terminal “with the intention of causing the greatest possible number of human casualties.”

During the flight, al-Hammami attacked the lead pilot with a cockpit emergency crash axe. However, his plan was thwarted when the captain, joined by off-duty crew members and passengers, managed to overpower and restrain him. The flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, before passengers were safely transported to Tel Aviv.

Prosecutors revealed that al-Hammami was heavily radicalized and drew direct inspiration from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.

 

He “drew inspiration from the 11 September 2001 attacks, and the idea of carrying out a similar operation using an aircraft became firmly established in his thinking,” authorities stated.

Investigators determined that al-Hammami specifically pursued a career in aviation to execute a suicide mission. As part of his preparations, he had previously flown the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv route twice to familiarize himself with the flight path and target area.

“The idea of carrying out a similar operation using an aircraft became firmly established in his mind, which, according to his confessions, was connected to his decision to pursue a career in aviation,” Friday’s statement said.

Credit: https://www.oann.com