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(https://rumcdn.geoedge.be/f7ae3efe-f9e8-44be-8cf9-3b564afd5f4b/grumi-ip.js)  (https://widgets.outbrain.com/outbrain.js)  (https://btloader.com/tag?o=5119785225420800&upapi=true)  (https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id=GTM-T4BJGTM)   (../../manifest.json)  (../../../images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/Icons/PNG/jp-favicon-16.png)  (../../../images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/Icons/PNG/jp-favicon-32.png)  (../../../images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/Icons/PNG/jp-favicon-192.png)  (https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/Icons/PNG/jp-favicon-180.png)  (https://fonts.gstatic.com)  (https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js)  Flydubai hijacker planned to kill pilot quietly, crash into Tel Aviv skyscraper | The Jerusalem Post      (article-910544.html)                     (Jerusalem Post) (https://www.jpost.com/) (The Jerusalem Post - Israel News) (The Jerusalem Post - Israel News)    (CONFERENCES) (https://www.jpost.com/conferences) CONFERENCES  (ISRAEL NEWS) (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news) ISRAEL NEWS  (WORLD NEWS) (https://www.jpost.com/international) WORLD NEWS  (MIDDLE EAST) (https://www.jpost.com/middle-east) MIDDLE EAST  (BUSINESS & INNOVATION) (https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation) BUSINESS & INNOVATION  (DEFENSE & TECH) (https://defense-and-tech.jpost.com/) DEFENSE & TECH  (OPINION) (https://www.jpost.com/opinion) OPINION  (JP STORE) (https://store.jpost.com/) JP STORE   (https://www.jpost.com/PayWalllogin) Login    (Search) ()           (https://www.jpost.com/PayWalllogin) Login (https://payments.jpost.com/paywall/paywallpersonaldetails) Subscribe    (https://www.jpost.com/magazineprint/digitallibrary) JPOST DIGITAL LIBRARY  (https://www.jpost.com/) HOME PAGE  (https://www.jpost.com/jerusalem-report) THE JERUSALEM REPORT  (https://defense-and-tech.jpost.com/) DEFENSE & TECH  (https://www.jpost.com/tags/education) JPOST HIGHER EDUCATION  (https://www.jpost.com/opinion) OPINION  BUSINESS & INNOVATION      (https://realestate.jpost.com/) REAL ESTATE LISTINGS  (https://www.jpost.com/aliyah) ALIYAH  (https://www.jpost.com/conferences) JERUSALEM POST CONFERENCE  PREMIUM      (https://store.jpost.com/) JP STORE  Categories  ISRAEL NEWS      WORLD NEWS      MIDDLE EAST      (https://www.jpost.com/american-politics) US POLITICS  DIASPORA      (https://www.jpost.com/opinion) OPINION  PODCAST      JUDAISM      (https://www.jpost.com/kabbalah) KABBALAH  CHRISTIAN WORLD      HEALTH & WELLNESS      (https://www.jpost.com/science) SCIENCE  (https://www.jpost.com/law) LAW  ARCHAEOLOGY      (https://www.jpost.com/omg) OMG  (https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change) ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE  (https://www.jpost.com/food-recipes) FOOD & RECIPES  (https://www.jpost.com/history) HISTORY   (https://www.jpost.com/special-content) SPONSORED CONTENT  (https://www.jpost.com/advertise) ADVERTISE WITH US  (https://www.jpost.com/landedpages/termsofservice.aspx) TERMS OF USE  (https://www.jpost.com/landedpages/privacypolicy.aspx) PRIVACY POLICY  (https://www.jpost.com/contactus) CONTACT US  (https://www.jpost.com/customer-service/cancel-subscription) CANCEL SUBSCRIPTION  (https://www.jpost.com/customer-service) CUSTOMER SERVICE  (https://www.jpost.com/landedpages/aboutus.aspx) ABOUT US       (https://www.jpost.com/) Jerusalem Post /  (https://www.jpost.com/international) World News /  (https://www.jpost.com/international/islamic-terrorism) Terrorism   Flydubai hijacker researched airlines, planned killing pilot, crash into Tel Aviv skyscraper "The dream was to crash into Ben-Gurion Airport," Omani pilot Hamam al-Hammami said during interrogation, an Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.  (Share)         (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=https://www.jpost.com/)      Follow us on Google     (A flydubai plane carrying passengers from flight FZ1073 arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, after a suspected terror attack aboard their original flight from Dubai to Israel forced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, September 30, 2026.) (A flydubai plane carrying passengers from flight FZ1073 arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, after a suspected terror attack aboard their original flight from Dubai to Israel forced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, September 30, 2026.)   A flydubai plane carrying passengers from flight FZ1073 arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, after a suspected terror attack aboard their original flight from Dubai to Israel forced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, September 30, 2026. (photo credit: FLASH90 )    By (https://www.jpost.com/author/idan-kweller) IDAN KWELLER ,  (https://www.jpost.com/author/dani-saperstein) DANYA SAPERSTEIN ,  (https://www.jpost.com/author/amichai-stein) AMICHAI STEIN    OCTOBER 4, 2026 16:21  Updated:  OCTOBER 4, 2026 20:24   Hamam al-Hammami, the copilot accused of trying to hijack and crash a flydubai aircraft bound for Israel, stated during interrogation that he had researched which airlines operate routes to Tel Aviv and consequently chose flydubai, an Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.  "I tried to get hired by all the airlines. I planned the operation even before I was accepted by the company," the pilot said during interrogation.   "The dream was to crash into Ben-Gurion Airport," Hammami added.  In recent months, Hammami had been frequenting Ben-Gurion Airport in the course of his work as a pilot.  One of his final visits to Israel took place around July the gather intelligence and prepare to carry out the attack.   (A plane, carrying passengers who were on the FlyDubai aircraft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an emergency signal, on the tarmac as it arrives at the Ben Gurion International Airport, in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel, September 30, 2026.)  A plane, carrying passengers who were on the FlyDubai aircraft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an emergency signal, on the tarmac as it arrives at the Ben Gurion International Airport, in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel, September 30, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)    Days later, he flew a plane to Israel, intending to crash it within the country's territory. However, due to his closeness to one of the crew members, he was overcome by a severe crisis of conscience and postponed the attack until late September.  Hammami also planned to deliberately crash into Tel Aviv skyscrapers, Italian outlet Corriere Della Sera reported on Sunday, citing Israeli intelligence.  Hammami's plan was to kill the pilot, (https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-910475) Capt. Smit Machchhar , without attracting attention, then fly along the planned route to Tel Aviv before crashing into the city's buildings.   Israeli authorities are working on the assumption that Hammami was a "lone wolf" actor who attempted to crash the plane on his own initiative, rather than acting on the orders of any terror group, a source told The Jerusalem Post .  The operation was planned to be so quick that fighter jets couldn't intervene, the Italian outlet stated.   Instead, after (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-910494) Hammami attacked Machchhar with an emergency crash axe, almost severing his arm, and attempted to crash the plane by first manipulating the control stick and then cutting both engines, Machchhar helped passengers secure Hamami and the aircraft, according to the report.  (Flydubai pilot, capt. Smit Machchhar.)  Flydubai pilot, capt. Smit Machchhar. (credit: SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)    Hamami previously fired from Oman Air for extremist views  Hammami had previously worked for Oman Air before he was (https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-910483) fired for his views, described as too close to Islamic extremism , before being hired by flydubai eight months ago, according to Corriere Della Sera .  Australian authorities are currently conducting an investigation into whether or not (https://www.jpost.com/international/islamic-terrorism/article-910529) Hammami had been radicalized while in the country.  "The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (VIC JCTT), comprising the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO, can confirm it is investigating the man's links to Australia. An update will be provided at an appropriate time," an Australian Federal Police (AFP) spokesperson said, referring to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.  The Financial Times reported on Sunday that Hammami had allegedly visited radical mosques and extremist websites while in Australia, citing two people familiar with the investigation.  Australian intelligence services held a file on the individual, according to the FT.  Reuters contributed to this report.       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