Sources Suggest: Assistant Pilot of Flydubai Flight Intended to Target Ben Gurion Airport

- An Israeli official and a knowledgeable source stated that the alleged hijacker of the Fly Dubai flight, which was heading from Dubai to Tel Aviv, likely intended to target Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, the country's main international gateway. Hamam Al-Hamami, the suspect in the attempted hijacking and an assistant to the pilot on board the flight, was stopped thanks to the actions of the plane's captain and several passengers who managed to subdue him and take control of the aircraft.

The official and the source mentioned that Israel is receiving updates from the Emirati side, and that the investigation is still in its early stages. They added that there are ongoing questions regarding the suspect's intentions. It is still unclear why Al-Hamami allegedly attacked the pilot, Smit Machhar, while the plane was flying over Saudi airspace if his goal was to target an airport in Israel.

The United Arab Emirates is leading the investigation into the attempted hijacking of Fly Dubai flight FZ1073 to uncover the motives behind the attack and to understand how the suspect managed to bypass security measures in two countries known for their strict security protocols. Israeli Channel 12 was the first to report that Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv may have been the target of the hijacking attempt.

Afaq News reported on Sunday that the suspect likely acted alone, and that Israel is not yet aware of any connection to any terrorist organization that trained, funded, or planned the attack. The Attorney General of the United Arab Emirates, Hamad Saif Al-Shamsi, stated that the co-pilot on board the flight attempted to take control of the aircraft by attacking his colleague with an emergency axe, which is one of the required equipment on most planes.

The Attorney General described this attempted hijacking as an "act of terrorism."