The pilot from Oman who attacked the captain of a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv told interrogators he planned to steer the aircraft into the terminal at Ben Gurion Airport. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The claim was reported by Israeli Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal. According to the journalist, the second pilot intended to carry out a normal approach and then, in the final seconds, direct the aircraft into the terminal building. He calculated that at that moment it would no longer be possible to intercept the aircraft.
That, according to Segal, is why the pilot attacked the captain only over Jordan, when the aircraft was close to Israel.
The journalist also reported that the plan was thwarted thanks to the decision of the wounded captain from India to open the cockpit door at any cost.
Recall that on September 30, on flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the second pilot attacked the captain and tried to seize control of the aircraft. More than 170 passengers and crew members were on board.
Passengers and crew members managed to subdue the attacker. A reserve pilot on board landed the aircraft at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The second pilot was detained by Saudi authorities and later handed over to the UAE.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that after the incident flydubai temporarily suspended all flights between Dubai and Israel. The airline said it would resume flights after receiving additional information following the investigation.