FlyDubai attacker intended to crash plane into Tel Aviv airport, ongoing investigation finds

Motive behind midair attack aboard FlyDubai plane remains unclear An Israeli airline El Al aircraft is parked on the tarmac at Ben-Gurion Airport near the city of Lod on October 2, 2026. JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images hide caption JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images TEL AVIV, Israel – An ongoing investigation into last week's midair attack on a FlyDubai plane has found that the co-pilot who tried to take control of the flight intended to crash it into Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport, a person familiar with the matter but not authorized to speak publicly told NPR. The plane was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv and was intending to land at Ben Gurion midmorning on a busy weekday. The co-pilot attacked the plane's captain midflight with an axe and attempted to take control of the plane. It is believed that the co-pilot likely acted alone, the source said. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates — which is leading the main investigation into the incident, with help from Israeli officials — and in Israel have deemed the attack an attempted terrorist attack, although the motive is still being investigated. The commercial flight had 172 people on board, according to the airline, the maj...