'Israeli 9/11 terrorist pilot dreamed of crashing plane into Tel Aviv's airport or tower complex and had planned to hijack flight weeks ago but didn't want to kill crew member friend', security sources claim

The 'terrorist' pilot who attempted to hijack a Flydubai passenger plane had 'dreamed' of crashing it into Tel Aviv's main airport and causing mass casualties, sources claim.Hamam al-Hammami, 29, severely wounded captain Smit Machchhar using the onboard crash axe as he frantically tried to take control of the plane on its way to Israel on Wednesday.Heroic passengers and crew grappled with al-Hammami to regain control of the aircraft, which plummeted 14,000ft in just 29 seconds during the terrifying incident.Israeli sources now claim al-Hammami revealed during interrogation that he had plotted the hijack before he was even accepted as a pilot with Flydubai - and had 'tried to get hired' at several other airlines.'The dream was to crash into Ben-Gurion Airport,' he added, according to a source speaking to The Jerusalem Post. Al-Hammami - who authorities believe could have acted as a 'lone wolf' - is said to have travelled to Ben-Gurion Airport on a number of occasions before he unleashed the attack, most recently in July to gather intelligence.During that month he intended to carry out his plot, but aborted his actions when he realised a crew member he was friendly with was on board. Al-Hammami had also considered crashing the plane into a tower block close to the country’s military headquarters. Hamam al-Hammami, the suspected hijacker of the Flydubai aircraft, 'dreamed' of crashing it into Tel Aviv's main airport and causing mass casualties, sources claim Al-Hammami is said to have 'dreamed' of crashing the plane into Ben-Gurion airport Al-Hammami is also said to have considered flying into one of the Azrieli Towers, close to Israel's military headquarters, the Kirya, in central Tel AvivAccording to Italian outlet Corriere Della Sera, Israeli intelligence revealed al-Hammami planned to kill Machchhar from behind the locked cockpit door before flying on as planned to Tel Aviv without suspicion.As he neared the destination, he would fly into one of the Azrieli Towers close to Israel's military headquarters, the Kirya, in central Tel Aviv. The style of the attack would have mimicked the Al Qaeda terrorist attack on New York's Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. Al-Hammami is said to have begun his attack over Jordan, around 10 minutes away from the border with Israel - which would have left virtually no time for IDF fighter jets to intervene. The latest revelations come as it was revealed al-Hammami held extremist views and said women should be 'stomped on' during religious rants posted on his social media.While enrolled at Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) – where he studied for a three-year, distance-learning degree in aviation before graduating in 2023 – al-Hammami seemingly encouraged violence towards women in a series of posts, praising giving them a 'pre-emptive slap'.He also appears to have commended Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The account 'Pilot Hamam al-Hammami', linked to the co-pilot and which has since been deleted, appeared to support severe punishments justified by reference to Islamic law.In one exchange, the user told a woman: 'I'd stomp on your head, wipe the floor with you, make you an example to others, and then divorce you.' Another post, made during a discussion about a man striking a woman, said: 'He gave her a pre-emptive slap so she would redefine her boundaries, just as Russia slapped Ukraine to adjust its borders.' Al-Hammami worked with Oman's national airline as a trainee in 2024, but was removed from flying because of concerns that he may have been influenced by radical groups from time spent in Syria, according to officials. He was then moved to an administrative job at Oman Air.Two other posts were reportedly made to a LinkedIn page strongly matching al-Hammami's identity last Wednesday, just nine hours after the attack. The first post reportedly featured a series of clips filmed in the cockpits of a Boeing 737 Max aircraft. One clip, geolocated to Dubai International Airport, zoomed in on the plane that belongs to the Israeli airline El Al. Al-Hammami is said to have revealed during interrogation that he planned to kill Captain Smit Machchhar (pictured) before flying on to Tel Aviv undetected and crashing the aircraft The co-pilot (pictured) used the cockpit's crash axe in his attempt to take control of the Flydubai plane The cockpit screen showed the flight number – OMA624 – and the date, October 11, 2023, which matches the time when Al Hammami worked at Oman Air. The flight number corresponds to a flight that usually travels from Dubai to Muscat.Other clips showed more planes from El Al, and one from another Israeli airline, Arkia.It ends with a photo of Ayman al-Zawahiri, who led Al Qaeda after Osama Bin Laden's death, and a photo of Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who killed nine people in a 2009 suicide bombing.The second post on the profile shows an AI-generated image of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem – Islam's three holiest sites – linked by a glowing trail. In the background, a poem is being recited, speaking of rejecting humiliation, not fearing death and defending one's dignity.On the day of the attack, BNU said its licence to sponsor international students had been suspended by the Home Office over fears regarding its compliance with sponsorship duties. It said 'many of the issues raised by the Home Office relate to historic international student recruitment activity'.The Home Office said the suspension had been unrelated to al-Hammami or the Flydubai attack. Al-Hammami is accused of attacking the plane's Indian pilot in what the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general described as an attempted terrorist attack. An Israeli official told The Times Of Israel on Thursday: 'His social media accounts [say] clearly that he has been radicalised into jihadist ideology. He talks about killing Jews.'The LinkedIn account linked to al-Hammami, which has now been deleted, showed he worked at Oman Air for seven years, leaving in February 2025, and joined Royal Air Maroc in June 2025 before departing in January 2026. It made no mention of Flydubai.It was not immediately clear to what extent the co-pilot was vetted when he was hired by the UAE-based airline.However, it was confirmed by a Gulf diplomat that he had undergone standard security checks before being hired – but it appears these checks focused on whether he had been convicted on criminal charges and didn't go deeper into examining his background for signs of radicalisation. The passengers who survived the hijacking finally landed safely at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, having diverted to Saudi ArabiaRoyal Air Maroc confirmed that Al-Hammami had completed three months of training with the airline in 2025, but his application to work there afterwards was rejected.The UAE, which is leading the investigation, is now working to establish whether he acted as a 'lone wolf or has any connection with any extremist groups'.Al-Hammami was born in the UAE and his mother is Syrian. He obtained Omani nationality from his father.He graduated from his three-year distance-learning course at Buckinghamshire New University with a degree in aviation management in 2023. The university said he did not take any pilot training at the school.According to the university's website, its aviation management courses 'look into the background operations, logistics, security and management of the aviation industry'.It is understood he also studied engineering at a university in Australia.On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the suspect had undergone 'Islamist radical indoctrination'.In a post on X, UAE senior adviser Anwar Gargash branded the attack 'a dangerous terrorist act'. Video footage taken on board the flight captured the terrifying screams and cries of passengers onboard Flight FZ1073 that plunged into an erratic descent. The flight, carrying 182 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing. It transmitted a general emergency signal using a squawk code – four-digit numbers used for in-flight communication – of 7700 while making a U-turn over the border between the two countries.While flying over Saudi Arabia, it briefly issued a code of 7500, signalling unlawful interference or a hijacking.Officials feared the incident could have become another 'September 11' attack, adding that passengers had prevented an 'Israeli 9/11' by tying up the assailant.Passengers and crew, including the captain Mr Machchhar, have been hailed for their bravery and helped save the lives of the 174 passengers on board.Al-Hammami, who was transferred on Thursday from Saudi Arabia to the UAE, is understood to be 'co-operating'.READ MORE: Flydubai hijacker called for women to be 'stomped on' in religious rants while studying at British universityBritish-educated Flydubai terrorist was found with Al Qaeda propaganda and plans to target Israeli planes three years ago - but was still allowed to fly Mother on board Flydubai flight didn't know which one of her four children to hug first as she relives terror: 'I told them we were in God's hands'