Alleged Flydubai hijacker said 9/11 attacks spurred him to become a pilot, early investigation finds

The alleged Flydubai hijacker had planned to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv and was inspired by the 9/11 attacks, a preliminary investigation has found.

Hamam al-Hammami, the suspect in the hijacking attempt and co-pilot on board last week’s flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, wanted to carry out a similar attack to September 11, 2001, which led him to pursue an aviation career, according to a statement from the United Arab Emirates’ Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi shared by Emirati state media.

“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,” Friday’s statement said. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks 25 years ago, after four commercial planes were hijacked and crashed into three locations in the United States.

The co-pilot wanted to carry out “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,” with the aim of causing “the greatest possible number of casualties,” the statement added.

Hamam al-Hammami has been identified as the pilot suspected of having attacked another pilot aboard a Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight on Wednesday.

Obtained by CNN

The early investigation also found that the September 30 flight was not al-Hammami’s first to Tel Aviv. He previously took part in two flights to Ben Gurion Airport to become familiar with the route and airport in preparation for the attack, the preliminary findings revealed.

An Israeli official and Israeli source familiar with the matter told CNN earlier that the alleged hijacker likely wanted to target the airport, the country’s main international gateway.

Al-Hammami, 29, was stopped by the actions of the captain and several passengers who restrained him and took back control of the airplane.

Background check

Al-Hammami became inclined toward extremism and terrorism in 2017 while he was studying in Australia, the investigation found. He was influenced by extremist publications he read and online content he followed that glorified terrorist groups and suicide attacks.

The statement said he “prepared himself psychologically and physically to carry out his plot by increasing his exposure to material inciting terrorism and training in boxing under a private coach.”

He previously worked for Oman Air from 2020 to 2024 before joining Royal Air Maroc in 2025, working at the Moroccan airline for several months before moving on to Flydubai in January 2026, the Emirati statement indicated.

A source told CNN earlier that the suspect was removed from flight training with Oman Air because of the concerns over his radical views, and was given another role at the Omani airline.

In a statement to Associated Press last week, Air Maroc said the suspect trained with the airline for three months in 2025 as part of the pre-employment process but he was not selected.

The UAE’s investigations also looked into Flydubai’s recruitment procedures for the suspect. Al-Hammami had met the professional and security requirements to be employed, the probe found, including holding a pilot’s license, a certificate of good conduct and completing the necessary exams.

There were “no indications emerging during those procedures that revealed his extremist inclinations or his intention to carry out a terrorist plot,” Attorney General Al Shamsi said, according to state media.

Al-Hammami told authorities he acted alone, though investigations into his claim are ongoing, the attorney general said.

Authorities are still investigating evidence, the possible involvement of others and is reviewing the recordings and technical reports, the according to Emirati state media.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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