TEL AVIV — Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami attacked the captain of Flydubai flight FZ1073 with a crash ax and attempted to seize control of the aircraft on October 1, 2026. Passengers and crew members entered the cockpit and subdued the attacker during the regularly scheduled international passenger flight from Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel.

The flight was carrying 174 passengers when the incident occurred. Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was severely injured during the attack but managed to open the cockpit door to allow passengers and crew to intervene. The aircraft made a sudden U-turn near the Jordan border, descending 17,000 feet in under a minute during the incident. The flight captain issued a '7500' hijacking alert, an aviation code for in-flight emergencies.

"I was acting for my own life, but at the same time, I knew I couldn’t let all of them die," Machchhar said in a video call. An Israeli dentist treated the wounded pilot, according to reports. A passenger stated that charging cables were used as improvised restraints for the attacker after he was subdued.

The suspect has been identified as Omani citizen Hamam al-Hammami. UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi called the attempted hijacking a "terrorist act." Al Shamsi stated that investigators are working to establish the incident’s full circumstances, motives, and any links. Early indications suggest the attacker acted alone rather than as part of a larger organization or on behalf of a foreign government. Israeli sources stated that the suspect probably acted alone and Israel currently knows of no link to a group or government.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that investigators were examining whether the attacker had been sent by someone. A senior U.S. official stated there were no indications that Iran directed or was involved in the attack.

Royal Air Maroc stated that the suspect trained with the airline for three months in 2025 as part of the pre-employment process but was not selected. An Israeli official stated that al-Hammami had worked for Flydubai for only eight months. The Interior Ministry of Saudi Arabia is conducting investigations into the incident. The Australian Federal Police is investigating al-Hammami’s links to Australia.

Israel’s Tax Authority confirmed that the names of all passengers and crew were provided to Israeli authorities before the flight. In 2021, the Shin Bet removed itself from responsibility for securing foreign flights. A law enacted in 2023 established the National Center for Passenger Data Analysis (MALAN) to collect and analyze flight and passenger data.

The State Comptroller issued a classified report in May 2024 showing the security void regarding foreign flight security. A Transportation Ministry spokesperson stated that its protocols do not include checking the names of flight crew members.

Why It Matters

The attempted hijacking of a commercial airliner carrying 174 passengers points to security vulnerabilities in the vetting of foreign airline crews. The incident occurred despite protocols requiring passenger and crew names to be provided to authorities before flights, yet transportation ministry protocols do not include checking the names of flight crew members. The attacker’s background, including previous removal from an airline due to extremist views and a social media post featuring a former al Qaeda leader, prompts scrutiny of screening processes for aviation personnel.

The event has prompted political debate in Israel regarding responsibility for aviation security. Transportation Minister Miri Regev assigned responsibility for foreign company security to the Mossad, while critics cited a 2024 State Comptroller report that showed a security void. The Shin Bet had removed itself from responsibility for securing foreign flights in 2021, establishing a timeline of administrative changes preceding the 2026 incident. Investigations continue across multiple countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Australia, to determine the full scope of the attacker’s motives and connections.

Timeline

Sources stated that Hamam al-Hammami was removed from his job at Oman’s national airline last year following concerns about his extremist views.

The co-pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073 attacked the captain with a crash ax and attempted to seize control of the aircraft on October 1, 2026.

What's New

A LinkedIn profile bearing the name Hamam al-Hammami indicated he worked at Oman Air for seven years, leaving in February 2025, and joined Royal Air Maroc in June 2025, departing in January 2026. Oman Air did not respond to inquiries about whether Hamam al-Hammami had previously worked for the airline, despite his LinkedIn profile indicating seven years of employment there before 2025. FlyDubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami told investigators he wanted to crash the plane and was not afraid of death, a report has claimed.

Flydubai flight FZ1073 made a sudden U-turn near the Jordan border, descending 17,000 feet in under a minute during the incident.