FlyDubai co-pilot planned to crash plane into airport, shouldn’t have been cleared to fly to Israel, sources say

Updated on: October 5, 2026 / 12:01 PM EDT / CBS News

The Omani co-pilot who allegedly attempted to hijack a FlyDubai flight to Israel last week told interrogators in the United Arab Emirates last week that he planned the attack even before he was employed by the Emirati airline more than a year ago, according to an Israeli official.

He had intended to crash the FlyDubai jet into Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, the official said, adding that the co-pilot, who multiple sources familiar with the investigation have identified to CBS News as Omani national Hamam al Hamami, had flown to Israel in the past.

A series of major security failures preceded the alleged hijacking attempt, and insiders told CBS News on Monday that the incident should have been prevented long before the plane even took off.

Israel's own security protocols should've prohibited al Hamami from ever flying to Tel Aviv, according to Eytan Ben David, a former deputy head of aviation security at El Al, Israel's flagship airline.

The Sept. 30 flight was approaching Israel when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with the plane's crash ax and attempted to crash the aircraft, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/