Flydubai co-pilot attempted to hijack Tel Aviv flight, investigation reveals

A preliminary Israeli investigation has found that last Wednesday’s attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was carried out by a lone individual.

Sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News that co-pilot Hammam Al-Hammami stabbed the flight captain and tried to crash the plane as it approached Israeli airspace.

The captain managed to resist the attacker and opened the cockpit door, allowing a group of passengers and Flydubai staff to overpower Al-Hammami.

Two pilots who were on board also intervened to help regain control of the aircraft, which then made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

The co-pilot is currently undergoing a second round of questioning in the UAE, following an initial investigation by Saudi authorities after the landing.

Israel has sent representatives to participate in the ongoing investigation, which is still considering all possible motives.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News that the attacker had been indoctrinated and radicalized, and said he appeared suicidal, shouting "Kill me, kill me!" after being subdued by the crew.

Al-Hammami, 29, is the son of an Omani father and a Syrian mother. He previously worked briefly for Oman Air, joining a training program for new pilots, but was reassigned to an office job after authorities discovered he had visited extremist websites.

He later resigned from the company in 2024, applied for a job at an unnamed Western airline but was not accepted, and subsequently joined Flydubai.