Flydubai pilot's attempted attack on Ben Gurion aircraft thwarted, plane landed safely
Based on · First reported
Sources
- A Flydubby pilot named Al‑Hamami tried to kill the main pilot of a flight at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, planning to attack the aircraft in Jordanian airspace before it reached the airport, but the Indian pilot resisted, sent a distress signal, opened the cockpit door and the crew regained control, after which two off‑duty pilots landed the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia.
- Al‑Hamami had visited Ben Gurion several times after joining Flydubai and gathered intelligence during a June trip to Israel, initially deciding to execute the plan in July but postponing it at the last moment because of a friendship with a crew member, and he allegedly told Captain Matschauer to pray before striking him with a crash axe; he also said he would target a high‑rise building in Tel Aviv or a US military base in Jordan if the airport attack failed.
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