Report: Israel Received FlyDubai Crew Details Before Hijacking Attempt

Israeli authorities received nationalities and identities of crew and passengers on a Flydubai Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight before co-pilot Hamam al Hammami attempted to hijack it. Israel flagged no concerns.

• Al Hammami attacked Indian pilot Smit Machchhar with a cockpit emergency axe.
• The plane lost altitude sharply; passengers and crew overpowered al Hammami after the cockpit door opened.
• Oman had removed al Hammami from flight duties and reassigned him over concerns about his views.
• Australia held a file on him; Royal Air Maroc trained then declined to hire him in 2025.

Why it matters: Multiple institutions held information about al Hammami before he boarded a cockpit. The Jerusalem Post's analysis concludes that information never traveled between them.

• A 2024 Israeli State Comptroller's Report had already called for a review of aviation security responsibilities for incoming foreign flights.
• Israeli officials are now disputing internally which agency was responsible for vetting the crew list.

How 10 sources split on this story

Where they split: Whether the attack had Iranian backing is actively disputed: Trump raised the possibility, Netanyahu called it too early to judge, and an Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post the working assessment as of October 1 was that al Hammami acted alone.

What’s next: Netanyahu directed the National Security Council to appoint an examiner for foreign-flight security procedures.

• Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the UAE are jointly investigating the suspect's motive and how the weapon entered the cockpit.
• What exactly did Oman's, Australia's, and Royal Air Maroc's files on al Hammami contain, and who was authorized to access them?
• Which Israeli agency was formally responsible for reviewing the pre-flight passenger list, and what did it do with the information?
• Is there evidence connecting al Hammami to any external actor, or did he act alone?