Investigators believe Hamam al-Hammami, the 29-year-old flydubai co-pilot who attempted to seize control of flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv last Wednesday, originally planned the hijacking for July before postponing it, according to regional and Israeli officials cited by the Guardian.
The delay may have resulted from a friend being among the crew on the aircraft, investigators assess. The evidence of advance planning suggests al-Hammami may have deliberately sought employment with an airline operating Israeli routes to execute the attack, according to experts cited in the reporting.
Police and security agencies across multiple countries are working to reconstruct al-Hammami's background and establish his intentions.