FlyDubai attempted hijacking likely lone-wolf attack, as per early Israeli investigation

Tel Aviv, Oct 4 (UNI) The alleged attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was most likely a lone-wolf attack, according to an early Israeli investigation, people familiar with the matter told CBS News today.

While the investigation remains ongoing and all possibilities are still being examined, for now it's unlikely that it had any third-party involvement, the sources said. The incident occurred on Wednesday as the flight was approaching Israel. The copilot, identified as Al Hamami, allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the aircraft, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, passengers and the captain.

The captain managed to fend off the copilot long enough to open the cockpit door. Israeli passengers and Flydubai staff then restrained the suspect, while two off-duty pilots aboard the flight took control of the aircraft and made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Al Hamami is now in the UAE, where he is undergoing a second round of questioning after initially being interrogated by Saudi authorities following the emergency landing. Israel has sent representatives to the UAE to take part in the investigation.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the copilot could have links to Iran, "based on what I'm hearing", adding that officials were working with authorities and that they were being "very open" with Washington. Al Hamami is an Omani national and previously worked for Oman Air, where he underwent pilot training. Sources said Omani authorities discovered through surveillance that he was visiting radical websites, after which Oman Air moved him to an office position.

One source said Al Hamami resigned after being placed on desk duty and left the airline around 2024. Sources also said he had at one point posted a video showing El Al aircraft in Dubai, ending with an image of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the former Al Qaeda leader who was killed in a US drone strike in 2022. Al Hamami later moved to Dubai, where he was hired by Flydubai. The sources said the airline did not vet him with the Omani government.

The sources said Al Hamami was not born in Oman and had spent most of his life outside the country. His mother is Syrian and his father Omani, they said. The Omani government has not publicly confirmed his nationality. Sources said he may have held dual citizenship, which could potentially explain how he was permitted to travel to Israel.

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