All articles tagged with #hijacking
An Omani co-pilot attempted to hijack a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, intending to crash it into Ben Gurion Airport in a 9/11-style attack. The plane was diverted to Saudi Arabia after passengers subdued the attacker, who had previously been banned from flying in Oman for extremist views. Investigations are ongoing into security lapses that allowed the suspect to be hired.
The attempted hijacking of Flydubai Flight 1073 on September 30, 2026, has triggered a multi-national investigation into severe aviation security lapses. The Omani co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, was previously barred from flying by Oman Air in 2024 due to extremist views but was subsequently hired by Flydubai without proper verification. During the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, al-Hammami attacked the captain with a crash axe, causing the aircraft to lose altitude before passengers subdued him. The plane was diverted to Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Authorities in the UAE, Israel, and Oman are now scrutinizing why the suspect bypassed security protocols in three countries, with early findings suggesting he acted alone without state or terrorist group support.
Israeli investigators believe the FlyDubai co-pilot who attempted to crash a flight to Tel Aviv was a lone actor. The suspect, identified as Omani national Hamam al Hamami, stabbed the captain before being subdued by passengers and crew. The aircraft landed safely in Saudi Arabia after a 17,000-foot drop.
The co-pilot accused of stabbing the captain of a FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv, Hamam al-Hammami, completed a distance-learning aviation management degree at Buckinghamshire New University in the UK in 2023. The incident, which involved a crash axe and a 17,000-foot plunge, has prompted investigations into vetting failures, as al-Hammami was previously grounded by Oman Air in 2024 for visiting radical websites. UAE officials have labeled the event a terrorist act, while Israeli leaders suggest the attacker may have been directed by external actors.
Investigators in the UAE and Israel are likely to scrutinize pilot screening protocols and cockpit door vulnerabilities after a FlyDubai co-pilot stabbed the captain and attempted to crash a flight to Tel Aviv. Experts suggest the incident may reveal compliance failures rather than systemic flaws, while highlighting the risks of locked cockpits preventing access to rogue crew members.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised passenger Yaniv Hayun, a plumber, for subduing a co-pilot who attempted to crash a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv. The incident, which Netanyahu compared to 9/11, resulted in an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the plane plunged 17,000 feet. Netanyahu vowed to investigate whether Iran was behind the attack, which involved the stabbing of the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar.
Turkish and Somali forces jointly freed a vessel hijacked by pirates, rescuing the crew and detaining the attackers in a coordinated maritime operation.
A United Airlines flight from Chicago to Minneapolis diverted to Dane County, Wisconsin after a 75-year-old man tried to breach the cockpit; five officers subdued him, no injuries were reported, and the FBI is leading the investigation with charges not expected.
A Canadian man, Shaheer Cassim, was charged with hijacking a small plane at Vancouver's airport, causing a security scare and prompting fighter jet response. Cassim, who posted about being a messenger of Allah and concerned about climate change, acted with ideological motives. Former colleagues described him as intelligent and environmentally interested, but unaware of any religious beliefs. The incident was managed without major disruption, highlighting effective response efforts.
A Canadian man hijacked a small plane from Victoria Airport, flew over Vancouver International Airport causing delays and diversions, motivated by climate change conspiracy theories, but was arrested before any harm occurred.
A Chinese-owned fishing vessel with 18 crew members was hijacked off the northeastern coast of Somalia by its security guards and local armed men. The European Union's anti-piracy force confirmed the incident as armed robbery at sea. The ship, licensed to operate in Somali waters, has been moved between several locations, with unverified reports of a $5 million ransom demand. This incident highlights ongoing maritime security challenges in the region, despite a decline in piracy since 2011.
Siblings Chanté and Rick McCoy III claim their father, Richard McCoy Jr, was the infamous hijacker DB Cooper, after discovering a parachute in their late mother's shed. The FBI, which closed the case in 2016, is reportedly re-investigating following this discovery. Richard McCoy, a former military pilot, was previously suspected due to a similar hijacking in 1972. The FBI is now seeking a DNA match between McCoy and evidence from the 1971 hijacking.
Haitian police engaged in a five-hour shootout with gang members to recover a hijacked cargo ship loaded with rice off the coast of Port-au-Prince. Two officers were injured, and an unknown number of gang members were killed. The hijackers, reportedly from the 5 Seconds and Taliban gangs, had seized the ship and kidnapped its crew, stealing 10,000 sacks of rice. The police also confiscated a significant number of weapons and ammunition in a separate operation. The ongoing gang violence has led to the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who remains locked out of Haiti.
South African soccer player and Olympian Luke Fleurs was killed in a hijacking in Johannesburg while waiting at a gas station, according to his club Kaizer Chiefs. The 24-year-old defender, who previously represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics, was shot by attackers who fled with his vehicle. Fleurs' death adds to the thousands of fatal hijacking victims in South Africa, a country with one of the highest murder rates in the world.
South African soccer star and Olympian Luke Fleurs was tragically killed in a hijacking at a gas station in Johannesburg, with the attackers fleeing with his vehicle. The 24-year-old defender, who previously represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics, was shot and later declared dead at the hospital. The incident has sparked outrage and highlighted the ongoing issue of violent crime in South Africa, where hijacking cases and gun-related deaths remain alarmingly high.