Investigators Trace Flydubai Hijack Plot to July as 8-Country Probe Widens
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 5
Investigators Trace Flydubai Hijack Plot to July as 8-Country Probe Widens
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 5
Summary
Investigators now believe Hamam al-Hammami, 29, had planned the Sept. 30 hijacking as early as July, delaying it possibly because a friend was on the crew.
Officials and experts say that prior planning suggests the Omani co-pilot may have sought work on Israel-bound routes specifically to attack Flight FZ1073 and crash it near Ben Gurion airport.
More than 180 passengers and crew were aboard when Hammami allegedly struck the captain with a cockpit crash axe; injured pilot Smit Machchhar opened the door, passengers subdued him, and a reserve pilot landed in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
The investigation has spread to more than eight countries as authorities examine whether he acted alone, his studies in Australia and New Zealand, and his moves from Oman Air to Royal Air Maroc and then flydubai.
Deleted social-media posts praising al-Qaida figures and threatening women, along with reports that flydubai checked criminal records but not radicalization, have intensified scrutiny of airline vetting and Israeli aviation security before the Oct. 7 anniversary and election.