Authorities Say Flydubai Hijacker Was Inspired by 9/11 Attacks and Wanted: ‘Greatest Possible Number of Casualties’
Hamam al-Hammami
An accused Flydubai hijacker who stabbed his co-pilot multiple times in a bid to crash a flight to Tel Aviv was inspired by the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and wanted “the greatest possible number of casualties,” authorities said.
Hamam al-Hammami sought a career in aviation because of the 9/11 attacks on New York City and Washington D.C., the United Arab Emirates’ attorney general said Friday in a statement.
He intended to slam the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv into Ben Gurion Airport, authorities said.
Instead, the Sept. 30 incident was ultimately thwarted by his fellow pilot.
“The idea of carrying out a similar operation using an aircraft became firmly established in his mind, which, according to his confessions, was connected to his decision to pursue a career in aviation,” Attorney General Hamad Saif al Shamsi said in the statement.
Al Shamsi described the terrifying episode as “a premeditated plot with a terrorist objective, aimed at taking control of the aircraft and using it to carry out a suicide attack targeting the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport.”
The plane, with more than 160 passengers on board, sent out an emergency alert mid-flight that resulted in Israel scrambling fighter jets.
The aircraft dropped 16,000 feet in 30 seconds but ultimately landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and passengers on board were unharmed, according to multiple reports.
Saudi Arabia is also investigating the incident, which occurred in Saudi airspace, Reuters reported.
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