The co-pilot allegedly used a cockpit crash axe and attempted to seize control of the Israel-bound aircraft before passengers and crew intervened, while investigators examine his reported extremist history and previous removal from flying duties in Oman
The United Arab Emirates is investigating what its prosecutor general has described as an attempted terrorist attack aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv after the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft.
The incident occurred on Wednesday aboard flight FZ1073, which was carrying 182 people. The Boeing 737 was travelling over Saudi Arabia when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar. According to the UAE state news agency, the co-pilot used a crash axe during the assault and also tried to seize control of the aircraft.
The prosecutor general said the co-pilot’s actions sent the aircraft into a sharp plunge that nearly resulted in a crash. Passengers and crew intervened to subdue him and stabilise the aircraft.
Machchhar, despite suffering serious injuries, managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing people who had heard loud noises to enter. Passengers then tackled and restrained the co-pilot. Janiv Hajun, one of those who intervened, later told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he grabbed the attacker and pulled him away from the cockpit.
Another passenger, Assaf Rajuan, told CNN that the injured captain was unable to speak and had been sitting collapsed with his hands raised. Passengers used headphone cables to restrain the co-pilot. Two other Flydubai pilots happened to be travelling on the aircraft and were able to take control of the plane.
The aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Both the captain and co-pilot were subsequently taken to the UAE, where Emirati authorities are leading the investigation. Officials said investigators from several countries, including Israel, are participating, with security agencies from four regional countries working to establish the co-pilot’s motive with assistance from the United States and other Western governments.
The suspect has been identified in reports as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami. UAE authorities have said he is cooperating with investigators. Emirati Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot had planned a terrorist attack, while UAE senior diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash described the incident as a “dangerous terrorist act”.
A central issue in the investigation is how the suspect was able to work in the cockpit of an international passenger aircraft after previously being removed from flying duties in Oman over concerns about extremist views.
A person familiar with the matter said the co-pilot had worked for Oman’s national airline but had been barred from flying after concerns that he had adopted extremist views. He was subsequently transferred to an administrative position at Oman Air before later being hired by Flydubai, the person said. The person spoke anonymously because the investigation is continuing.
It was not immediately clear how extensively Flydubai had vetted the co-pilot when he was hired. Oman’s decision to bar him from flying was previously reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Earlier reports by CNN, ABC News and the Wall Street Journal said the suspect had been identified as a security concern while training as a co-pilot at Oman Air. ABC News reported that extremist material was allegedly found in his possession in 2024 and that he was subsequently allowed to continue working for the airline in an administrative capacity.
Investigators are examining how he later obtained a position with Flydubai and whether information concerning his previous removal from flying duties was available during the recruitment and security-screening process.
The suspect’s background and possible motive remain under investigation. His Instagram account was reportedly active until the day of the flight and was subsequently deleted. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalisation”, but did not provide evidence publicly to support the assertion.
Israeli authorities have described the incident as jihadist terrorism. Investigators are also examining claims that the suspect intended to crash the aircraft in Israel, although those allegations remain part of the ongoing investigation. Flydubai has urged against premature speculation while authorities establish the facts.
The incident has also raised questions about aviation security arrangements involving pilots from countries with which Israel does not have diplomatic relations. Israel has said it maintains agreements with foreign carriers to prevent pilots from certain countries from entering its airspace. Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic relations.
Netanyahu said the passengers and pilots had prevented a catastrophe comparable to the September 11 attacks. After the aircraft reached Israel, he met some of the passengers and thanked them and the injured captain.
The 174 passengers later arrived at Ben Gurion airport, where relatives and media gathered to meet them. Flydubai subsequently said it would suspend flights to Tel Aviv while the investigation continued. The route, established in 2021 during the diplomatic opening associated with the Abraham Accords, was replaced by flights operated by Israel’s El Al to return passengers stranded in Dubai.
