Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami intended to bring jet down inside Israel

Israel is now checking whether al-Hammami was sent by someone else, and Netanyahu warned that “whoever sent him will pay a heavy price.”

By Gila Isaacson, JFeed

The co-pilot who attacked his captain on a Flydubai flight packed with Israelis has told investigators he meant to crash the plane inside Israel, according to a report by ABC News.

Multiple sources familiar with the investigation identified him as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami.

He was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, is said to be cooperating with the authorities, and has indicated that his aim was to bring the aircraft down in Israel, sources briefed on the investigation told ABC.

Israeli officials are expected to be on the ground and take part in his questioning.

The account fits what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday.

He said the attacker had undergone Islamist radicalization and came to crash the plane along with its passengers.

Israel is now checking whether al-Hammami was sent by someone else, and Netanyahu warned that “whoever sent him will pay a heavy price.”

Anwar Gargash, a senior adviser to the UAE president, became the first senior Emirati official to publicly call the attack terrorism.

Al-Hammami is an Omani national with roots in two other countries.

He was born in the UAE to an Omani father and a Syrian mother and spent several years of his life in the Emirates, a source told CNN.

Al Arabiya reported that he spent most of his time outside Oman, particularly in Syria, where sources said he was influenced by extremist ideas before moving to the UAE.

The warning signs were on record two years ago.

Officials told ABC that al-Hammami was found with extremist materials in 2024 while he was a co-pilot trainee at Oman Air.

He was taken off flying but allowed to stay at the airline in an administrative role.

Investigators are still trying to work out how he was later cleared to fly for Flydubai and ended up as first officer on a plane headed for Israel.

UAE authorities have not publicly confirmed his identity, his background, or the allegations about his past.

A UAE spokesperson declined to address his history in Oman, saying it could prejudge the investigation.

Flydubai has suspended flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv until further notice.