Flydubai Co-Pilot Planned to Deliberately Crash Plane into Tel Aviv Airport or Building

Reports emerging from the United States and Israel suggest that a co-pilot on board a flydubai flight had planned to deliberately crash the aircraft into either Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport or a high-rise building in the city.

The accused co-pilot is described as a lone wolf extremist by US and Israeli sources.

According to reports, the co-pilot attacked his captain with an emergency axe before being restrained by passengers on board flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv last Wednesday.

The co-pilot's intentions were far more sinister than initially thought, as investigators have discovered that he planned to deliberately crash the Boeing 737 MAX into either Tel Aviv airport or a nearby tower block in central Tel Aviv.

According to reports, the co-pilot's actions were inspired by al-Qaeda's infamous 11 September 2001 attacks on US soil. It is believed that he acted alone, rather than as part of a larger conspiracy involving a radical organisation or foreign government.

The co-pilot had previously considered hijacking and crashing a flight to Tel Aviv but ultimately decided against it because someone he knew was on board. This revelation raises questions about the attacker's mental state and level of planning.

Despite these disturbing findings, there has been no immediate comment from Emirati or Israeli authorities. However, UAE Attorney-General Hamad al-Shamsi has pledged that his country will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, including its motives and any potential links to extremist groups.

Regional officials have expressed concern over major security lapses in the case, including how the co-pilot was recruited by flydubai despite having been barred from flying for Oman Air due to concerns about his extremist views.

Israeli regulations strictly prohibit pilots from countries without diplomatic ties with Israel from operating flights into the country, a rule aimed at maintaining national security.

Regional officials disclosed to AP that Emirati authorities shared a list of passengers and crew on board flight FZ1073 before its departure, but it's unclear if this list was thoroughly vetted by Israeli authorities. According to protocol, such lists should be reviewed by Israel's Transport Ministry in collaboration with the Shin Bet domestic security agency.

However, Transport Minister Miri Regev disputed these claims, stating that her ministry did not receive passenger and crew information from flydubai, leaving security oversight for foreign airlines largely in the hands of the Shin Bet and Mossad agencies. In response to this incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the head of the National Security Council to conduct a comprehensive review of Israel's security measures regarding foreign civil aviation.