The flydubai co-pilot accused of stabbing his captain in a suspected attempt to crash the plane told UAE interrogators that he had planned the attack before he was hired by the Dubai state-owned airline, according to two Israeli officials with knowledge of the investigation.
A third source said the co-pilot, an Omani national, had planned to crash last Wednesday’s flight into Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. He had also operated a flight to Tel Aviv earlier this year and allegedly intended to hijack and crash the plane then, but ultimately decided against it, according to a Reuters report citing the sources.
The source said it was not immediately clear why the co-pilot changed his mind about the earlier flight, although he is believed to have known someone on board.
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The incident occurred while the Boeing 737 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to reports, the co-pilot attacked the captain, Smit Machchhar, inside the cockpit, causing the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly. The plane reportedly plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the situation was brought under control.
The United Arab Emirates prosecutor general has called the incident a “terrorist attack.”
Two sources have identified the co-pilot as an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami. However, Israeli and UAE officials have not publicly disclosed his name, although Israeli authorities have confirmed that he is from Oman.
Machchhar, an Indian pilot, was widely praised after he responded to the attack and helped protect the passengers on board. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Indian pilot for helping save the lives of about 180 people, while President Donald Trump also called Machchhar a “hero.”
A reserve flydubai pilot who was travelling on the flight reportedly took control of the aircraft and landed it at a regional airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The co-pilot was detained by Saudi authorities and later transferred to the UAE on Thursday.
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New Zealand Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Johnson said Monday that the co-pilot had spent time in the country and that New Zealand police were examining that period. Johnson did not say when the co-pilot allegedly visited the country or identify him.
A multi-agency Australian counterterrorism unit is also investigating the co-pilot’s links to Australia. He was previously enrolled at RMIT University in Melbourne, Victoria.
Netanyahu has said the co-pilot had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination and was suicidal, although he has not provided details about when or where the alleged indoctrination occurred.
The co-pilot completed three months of theoretical training at Royal Air Maroc in 2025. However, according to the Moroccan airline, his application to work there was rejected.