The co-pilot of Flydubai who attacked Smit Machchhar, inspired by the 9/11 attacks, visited Ben Gurion Airport twice | Update | Today’s news
Hamam al-Hammami, the Omani co-pilot on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv who attacked the flight captain in an attempt to crash the plane at Ben Gurion Airport, was allegedly inspired by the 9/11 attacks, a preliminary investigation has revealed.
According to a statement by United Arab Emirates (UAE) Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi carried by state media, the suspect wanted to carry out an attack similar to the 9/11 that led him to a career in aviation.
Here are the main updates from the flydubai hijack case:
1. According to a statement from the UAE Attorney General, “The idea of carrying out a similar operation using an aircraft became firmly established in his mind, which he admitted was related to his decision to pursue a career in aviation.” The statement went on to say that Al-Hammami wanted to carry out a “premeditated terrorist plot aimed at taking control of the aircraft and using it to carry out a suicide attack targeting the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport”, with the intention of causing “the greatest possible number of casualties”.
2. The preliminary investigation also revealed that the September 30 flight was not Al-Hammam’s first flight to Israel. The suspect had already taken two flights to Ben Gurion Airport to familiarize himself with the route and the airport in preparation for the attack. While he told investigating agencies that it was a lone wolf attack, investigations are underway to determine the possible involvement of others.
3. According to the statement, he started gravitating towards extremism and terrorism in 2017 while studying in Australia. His views were shaped by extremist publications and online material that praised terrorist groups and suicide attacks. The statement said Al-Hammami “prepared himself mentally and physically to carry out his plot by increasing his exposure to terrorist-inciting material and training in boxing under a private trainer.”
4. The pilot who intervened to prevent the plane from going down was assigned to the return flight and was close to the cockpit when Al-Hammami carried out the attack. State media said: “He noticed the cockpit door repeatedly opening and closing in an unusual manner, which raised his suspicions,” adding that he tried to enter the cockpit using the access code and saw the attack after he got inside.
5. The UAE said it had reviewed flydubai’s recruitment process for Al-Hammami. According to the state news agency, investigators confirmed that the suspect met the criteria for employment: he held a pilot’s license, presented a certificate of good conduct and passed the required checks. “However, none of the proceedings revealed any indication of his extremist views or intent to carry out a terrorist plot,” it said.
Flydubai flight attack
On 30 September, Al-Hammami attacked flight captain Smit Machchhar with a chop ax in an attempt to bring down a plane carrying over 170 people, mostly Israelis. The attempt failed after Machchhar unlocked the cockpit door despite being seriously injured. Crew members and passengers subdued the suspect while two off-duty pilots made an emergency landing at a civilian and military base in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The update from the United Arab Emirates provides the most detailed account yet of the attack, along with the co-pilot’s history and the events that contributed to what the agency said were his extremist views.
