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

A continuing investigation into last week’s midair attack on a FlyDubai flight says the co-pilot who tried to take control intended to crash the aircraft into Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, according to an NPR source familiar with the matter. The plane was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv for a midmorning landing on a busy weekday when the co-pilot attacked the captain midflight with an axe and attempted to seize control, believed to have acted alone. Israeli and UAE authorities have treated it as an attempted terrorist attack while motive remains under review. The flight’s 172 passengers and crew—mostly Israeli—were safe after an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, then transport to Tel Aviv.