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HomeNewsIsrael Evacuates Passengers After Bomb Threat on U.S. Flight

Israel Evacuates Passengers After Bomb Threat on U.S. Flight

A Delta Air Lines flight traveling from New York to Tel Aviv was evacuated shortly after landing in Israel on Tuesday morning following a reported bomb threat, according to local media.

The aircraft was moved to an isolated runway while security teams conducted inspections, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Early assessments indicated that the threat was likely a false alarm, the newspaper said.

Passengers were taken off the plane and escorted to the terminal. Authorities said there was no immediate threat to the public.

Officials had not yet formally closed the incident as investigations remained under way.

Delta restored its New York–Tel Aviv service in September after suspending the route for more than six months following the outbreak of the war with Iran.

Security authorities have remained on heightened alert since an attempted hijacking last month involving a Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

According to the UAE attorney general, the Omani co-pilot planned to seize the aircraft and crash it into a terminal at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in a suicide attack on September 30. The captain managed to stop him.

A Delta flight from New York to Tel Aviv was evacuated after landing in Israel on Tuesday morning following a bomb threat

A Delta flight traveling from New York to Tel Aviv was evacuated in Israel on Tuesday morning after a bomb threat was reported

UAE public prosecutors believe the alleged plan was influenced by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, according to findings from a criminal investigation launched on October 1.

The investigation found that the suspect had previously taken two flights to Tel Aviv to “familiarise himself with the flight route and the airport,” state news agency WAM reported.

It marked the first public confirmation that prosecutors believed the co-pilot had drawn inspiration from the September 11 attacks.

The aircraft was flying through Saudi airspace when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with a crash axe, equipment normally stored in the cockpit for emergencies.

The attack sent the plane plunging 16,000 feet, or about 4,900 metres, in just 30 seconds. The suspect was eventually subdued, allowing two other pilots aboard to land the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia.

The suspect was later transferred to the United Arab Emirates, Flydubai’s home country.

A statement from Attorney General Hamad Saif al Shamsi did not suggest that Flydubai had committed any wrongdoing. It provided prosecutors’ most detailed account so far of the events.

Investigators reviewed Flydubai’s recruitment process and determined that the suspect had satisfied the airline’s professional and security standards. He held a pilot’s licence and had submitted a certificate confirming his good conduct.

Hamam al-Hammami, the suspected  hijacker of the Flydubai aircraft, is an Omani national

Hamam al-Hammami, the suspected hijacker of the Flydubai aircraft, is an Omani national

The co-pilot (pictured) used the cockpit's crash axe in his attempt to take control of the Flydubai plane

The co-pilot, pictured, used the cockpit’s crash axe while attempting to take control of the Flydubai aircraft

“However, none of the procedures revealed any indications of his extremist views or his intention to carry out a terrorist plot,” Al Shamsi said.

He said the 29-year-old ​had worked for airlines ⁠in different countries including Oman Air before joining Flydubai in January 2026. 

The investigation found there were signs of the suspect drifting towards ‘extremism and terrorism’ as early as 2017, ​while he was studying in Australia.

Royal Air Maroc has said that he underwent ​three months of training ⁠there in 2025, but that his application to work for the airline afterwards was rejected.

UAE officials have not identified the suspect; however, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters he had been identified as Hammam al-Hammami, an ⁠Omani ​national.

Al Shamsi said the suspect had told investigators he had prepared ​psychologically and physically for the attack by viewing material promoting terrorism and taking boxing lessons.

Saudi Arabia has launched a separate safety investigation into flight ​FZ1073, sources told Reuters.