The suspected Fly Dubai hijacker was planning to crash a plane at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, inspired by the 9/11 attacks, a preliminary investigation has found.
Hamam Al Hammami, the suspect in the attempted hijacking and the co-pilot of last week’s flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, wants to carry out an attack similar to the one on September 11, 2001, which inspired him to pursue a career in aviation, according to a statement from UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi shared by UAE state media.
“The idea of carrying out similar operations using aircraft was firmly established in his mind, which, according to his confession, led to his decision to pursue a career in aviation,” the statement said on Friday. Twenty-five years ago, in the September 11 attacks, four passenger planes were hijacked and crashed into three locations in the United States, killing approximately 3,000 people.
The co-pilot wanted to carry out a “premeditated plot for terrorist purposes to take control of the aircraft and use it to carry out a suicide attack targeting the passenger terminal of Ben Gurion Airport” with the aim of inflicting “the maximum possible casualties”, the statement added.
Initial investigations also revealed that the September 30th flight was not Al Hammami’s first flight to Tel Aviv. Preliminary findings revealed that the suspect had previously taken part in two flights to Ben Gurion Airport to familiarize himself with the route and airport in preparation for an attack.
Israeli officials and Israeli sources familiar with the matter earlier told CNN that the suspected hijackers likely targeted the airport, the country’s main international gateway.
Al Hammami, 29, was stopped by the actions of the captain and several passengers, who detained him and regained control of the plane.
The investigation revealed that Al Hammami turned to extremism and terrorism in 2017 while studying in Australia. He was influenced by extremist publications he read and online content that glorified terrorist groups and suicide bombings.
The statement said the suspect “prepared both mentally and physically to carry out the plot through increased exposure to terroristic substances and boxing training with a private coach.”
He worked for Oman Air from 2020 to 2024, then joined Royal Air Maroc in 2025 and worked for the Moroccan airline for several months before transferring to flydubai in January 2026, the Emirati statement said.
Sources earlier told CNN that the suspect had been removed from Oman Air flight training due to concerns about his extremist ideology and was given a different role at Oman Air.
Air Moloch said in a statement to The Associated Press last week that the suspect trained for three months with the company in 2025 as part of a pre-hiring process but was not selected.
The UAE investigation also looked into flydubai’s recruitment procedures for the suspects. The investigation revealed that Al Hammami met the professional and safety requirements for employment, including holding a pilot’s license, a certificate of good conduct, and completing the required exams.
“During these proceedings, there were no indications revealing his extremist tendencies or intentions to carry out terrorist plots,” Attorney General al-Shamsi said, according to state media.
Al Hammami told authorities he acted alone, but the attorney general said an investigation into his claims was ongoing.
Emirati state media said authorities were still investigating the evidence and possible involvement of others, scrutinizing audio recordings and technical reports.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
