An investigation into a violent midair incident aboard a FlyDubai passenger jet has concluded that the co-pilot who attacked the flight's captain intended to crash the aircraft into Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly.
The person spoke to NPR as the probe into last week's attack continues, shedding new light on what authorities now believe was the attacker's goal. The disclosure marks a significant shift in understanding of an episode that began as a reported cockpit altercation and has now been characterized as an attempted mass-casualty attack.
The flight was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv and was scheduled to land at Ben Gurion in the midmorning on a busy weekday, when the airport handles a heavy volume of arriving and departing traffic. According to the source, the co-pilot assaulted the captain with an axe while the plane was in flight, then tried to seize control of the aircraft.
The attack unfolded inside the cockpit, a highly secured area that is normally accessible only to the flight crew. That the assailant was himself a member of that crew has raised difficult questions about how someone entrusted with operating the plane could turn it into a potential weapon.
Ben Gurion, located near the city of Lod, is Israel's primary international gateway and one of the most heavily guarded airports in the world. It handles millions of passengers each year and serves as the hub for the country's flag carrier, El Al. A successful crash into the airport would have had the potential for enormous loss of life on the ground as well as among those aboard the flight.
The plane was ultimately diverted to Saudi Arabia following the altercation, according to reporting on the aftermath of the incident. Passengers were later seen arriving at Ben Gurion through domestic arrivals doors, with at least one traveler raising his arms in relief as he walked out with his luggage and his dog.
That image, captured on September 30, offered a glimpse of the human dimension of the episode: travelers who had boarded a routine flight expecting to land in Tel Aviv instead found themselves diverted to another country after violence erupted at the controls of their aircraft.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and investigators have not publicly identified a reason for the co-pilot's actions. The source's account establishes the intended target but does not explain why the co-pilot sought to carry out such an attack, leaving a central question unresolved.
The timing of the flight is likely to figure prominently in the investigation. A midmorning arrival on a busy weekday would have placed the aircraft over a densely trafficked airport at a moment when terminals, roadways, and surrounding facilities were crowded with travelers and staff.
Aviation security experts have long warned that the insider threat — the possibility that a crew member or other trusted employee could exploit their access — represents one of the hardest challenges for any airport or airline to defend against. Cockpit doors are fortified against intruders from the cabin, but they offer little protection when the person inside is the attacker.
The case also highlights the layered protocols that govern modern commercial aviation, from crew vetting and psychological screening to the secure design of flight decks. Each layer is intended to prevent exactly the kind of scenario now under investigation, and each will likely be examined for how the attack could have progressed as far as it did.
For FlyDubai, the Dubai-based carrier, the incident represents a serious security and reputational challenge. The airline operates an extensive network across the Middle East and beyond, and its flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv form part of a broader set of commercial ties that have expanded in recent years.
The diversion of the aircraft to Saudi Arabia adds a further diplomatic dimension. Saudi Arabia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations, yet the kingdom allowed the stricken flight to land on its territory, a decision that underscored the practical cooperation that can occur in an emergency even absent official ties.
As the investigation proceeds, authorities are expected to reconstruct the sequence of events in the cockpit, examine the co-pilot's background and communications, and determine whether anyone else was involved or had advance knowledge of the plan. The findings so far have been attributed to a single source who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
For now, the central facts are these: a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was approaching Israel on a busy weekday morning when its co-pilot attacked the captain with an axe and attempted to take the controls; the aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia; and investigators now believe the attacker's intention was to crash the jet into Ben Gurion International Airport. The motive, and the full chain of events that allowed the attack to occur, remain under active investigation.
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