Investigators probing the foiled airborne terror attack have revealed details of the plot aboard the Fly Dubai flight bound for Tel Aviv. According to the investigation, Omani co-pilot and terrorist Hamam al-Hamami planned to seize control of the aircraft and deliberately crash it into the terminal at Ben Gurion Airport. Al-Hamami is suspected of choosing to attack the captain with an axe while the plane was in Jordanian airspace, near the Israeli border, intending to then continue the flight path normally to surprise defense systems.
The terrorist pilot’s diabolical plan was to approach the airport for landing routinely, then in the final seconds—when intercepting the plane would be impossible—dive deliberately toward the terminal. The deadly plot was foiled thanks to the quick thinking and bravery of the Indian captain, who was injured during the violent attack but fought back at all costs and managed to open the cockpit door. The terror incident now raises serious concern among intelligence agencies about a new threat to civil aviation, embodied by pilots who undergo radicalization and exploit their access to aircraft as weapons.
Former senior intelligence officials are warning of a new type of suicide terrorist and estimate the attack will lead to a fresh review of cockpit security mechanisms. Meanwhile, Australian authorities have launched an extensive investigation into al-Hamami’s connections to the country, after it emerged he previously studied in Melbourne and visited mosques associated with extremist elements. The investigation is being conducted by Victoria’s counter-terrorism team, in cooperation with law enforcement authorities in the United Arab Emirates and other countries, to determine the full background of the act and whether the terrorist operated as part of a terror infrastructure.