New reports suggest that the flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking his captain and attempting to seize control of a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight had planned the attack before he was even hired by the airline.
asserted
he → suggest → airline
He had also intended to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport, according to Israeli officials and sources cited in reports.
uncertain
He → intend → reports
Two Israeli officials with knowledge of the investigation told Reuters that the Omani national, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, told UAE interrogators that he had searched for airlines operating flights to Tel Aviv before applying to flydubai.
asserted
he → tell → flydubai
A third source briefed on the UAE investigation said al-Hammami had previously operated a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv earlier this year and had considered carrying out the attack then.
asserted
Hammami → brief → attack
He ultimately abandoned the plan, the source said, because had a friend on board.
asserted
source → abandon → board
He planned the attack before joining flydubai
The latest claims suggest the September 30 incident may have been planned well before al-Hammami joined the airline.
uncertain
Hammami → plan → airline
Israeli media, citing information from the UAE and Saudi investigations, reported that al-Hammami told investigators he had specifically looked for an airline flying to Tel Aviv before choosing flydubai.
asserted
he → cite → flydubai
“I looked into which airline flies to Tel Aviv.
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airline → look → Aviv
That's why I chose flydubai.
asserted
I → choose → flydubai
I planned it even before I was accepted,” Channel 13 reported him as saying, according to Times of Israel.
uncertain
Channel → plan → Israel
Times of Israel also reported that al-Hammami had visited Ben Gurion Airport several times in recent months while operating flydubai flights.
asserted
Hammami → report → flights
During a visit in June, he allegedly focused on gathering information and planning an attack, according to the report.
uncertain
he → focus → report
He reportedly intended to carry out the attack in July but cancelled it at the last moment because he was friends with one of the crew members.
uncertain
he → intend → members
What happened on Flight FZ1073
The alleged plan came to a head on September 30, when flydubai Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with more than 170 people on board, most of them Israeli passengers.
asserted
most → happen → them
The UAE prosecutor general has described the incident as a “terrorist attack”.
asserted
general → describe → attack
Al-Hammami attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar with an emergency crash axe while the aircraft was over Jordan.
asserted
aircraft → attack → Jordan
According to a timeline reported by Italian newspaper
Corriere della Sera, the co-pilot had requested a prayer break shortly before attacking the captain.
uncertain
pilot → accord → captain
Machchhar, despite being wounded, managed to open the cockpit door.
asserted
Machchhar → wound → door
An off-duty pilot travelling in the passenger cabin was alerted to the struggle, while passengers rushed into the cockpit and helped subdue al-Hammami.
asserted
passengers → travel → Hammami
Once his initial plan was disrupted, al-Hammami allegedly tried to crash the aircraft into the desert by forcing the plane into a steep descent and attempting to damage the controls, according to the Italian report.
uncertain
Hammami → disrupt → report
Off-duty pilots on board took over the aircraft and issued an emergency alert.
asserted
pilots → take → alert
The plane was eventually diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed at 10.57 am.
asserted
it → divert → am
Al-Hammami was detained by Saudi authorities and transferred to the UAE the following day.
asserted
Hammami → detain → UAE
Machchhar was also taken back to the UAE for medical treatment.
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Machchhar → take → treatment
The allegations have raised fresh questions about how al-Hammami was allowed to operate a flight to Israel in the first place, as Israel does not have diplomatic relations with Oman and Omani pilots are not permitted to operate flights to Israel.
asserted
pilots → raise → Israel
The incident has also exposed questions about earlier warnings concerning al-Hammami, as Oman had previously raised concerns over his online activity and radical views and removed him from flying duties at Oman Air.
asserted
Oman → expose → Air
Israeli and UAE authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.
asserted
authorities → continue → incident
Israeli intelligence officials have been involved in the UAE's questioning of al-Hammami, according to Israeli media reports.
uncertain
officials → involve → reports
A multi-agency Australian counterterrorism unit is also examining his links to Australia, where he studied at RMIT University in Melbourne about a decade ago.
asserted
he → examine → Melbourne
The Aporia
