A Flydubai co-pilot who tried to seize a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv allegedly planned a suicide attack on the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion airport, UAE prosecutors said on Friday.
Hammam al-Hammami struck the pilot with an emergency axe. Despite being badly injured, the pilot opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers to overpower the co-pilot. An off-duty relief pilot among about 180 passengers then landed the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia.
UAE attorney-general Dr Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said al-Hammami, 29, was in custody and had admitted to the alleged plot. Al-Shamsi said the co-pilot became radicalised while studying in Australia, where security agencies have since opened an investigation into his time as a student.
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