UAE prosecutor says FlyDubai co-pilot planned terror attack after cockpit assault
The co-pilot of FlyDubai flight FZ1073 attempted a terror attack by assaulting the captain with an emergency crash axe before being subdued by crew and passengers.
Mid-flight cockpit assault
On Wednesday, 30 September 2026, FlyDubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was interrupted when the co-pilot attacked the flight captain inside the cockpit. The assailant used an onboard emergency crash axe to assault the captain and attempted to take control of the Boeing 737 aircraft, sending it into a steep descent. The aircraft was carrying between 174 and 182 people, depending on source counts.
Despite sustaining severe injuries, the captain, identified as Indian national Smit Machchhar, managed to unlock the cockpit door from the floor. This permitted passengers and crew members to rush into the flight deck and subdue the attacker. A reserve FlyDubai crew travelling on board took the flight controls and safely diverted the airliner to Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Speaking from a hospital bed in Abu Dhabi during a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Machchhar described the encounter:
I had so many wounds. I had fallen down. I was fighting for my life. At one point I realized that if I didn't get up... then passengers would lose their lives.
Formal terror inquiry and suspect profile
On Saturday, 3 October 2026, United Arab Emirates Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi announced that the co-pilot was planning an act of terrorism. The suspect has been identified as 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami. After being detained by Saudi authorities upon landing in Tabuk, the suspect was transferred into Emirati custody on Thursday, 1 October 2026.
Emirati investigators are examining physical and digital evidence to establish the suspect's motives and network connections. Israeli officials stated that Israeli investigators are taking part in the UAE-led probe alongside Emirati authorities. Nine hours after the incident, two posts appeared on a LinkedIn profile under the suspect's name before being removed: one containing cockpit video of a Boeing 737 Max showing Israeli aircraft alongside an image of former al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, and another displaying images of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem.
- Co-pilot attacks captain aboard flight FZ1073 before the plane diverts to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
- Suspect is transferred from Saudi Arabian detention to the United Arab Emirates
- Captain Smit Machchhar recounts the struggle from an Abu Dhabi hospital
- UAE prosecutor announces terror investigation as first repatriation flight reaches Tel Aviv
Prior warnings and hiring history
The co-pilot had previously been banned from flying by authorities in Oman due to concerns that he held radical ideological views, according to reporting cited by ANSA from the Wall Street Journal. FlyDubai hired him despite that flight ban and subsequently assigned him to operate routes between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. It remains unconfirmed whether Omani authorities shared their security concerns with foreign governments or other air carriers.
A former airline crew member noted that FlyDubai subjects all pilots to pre-flight security checks and annual medical evaluations. The airline also carries out psychological assessments when first officers transition to the rank of captain. However, it is not established whether the suspect had undergone that specific psychological assessment.
Flight resumption and diplomatic impact
Commercial flights between the United Arab Emirates and Israel were suspended immediately after the incident. On Friday, 2 October 2026, the Israeli carrier Arkia operated the first repatriation flight to bring home Israeli citizens who had been stranded in the Emirates. The flight touched down at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv shortly after 1:00 AM on Saturday.
The repatriation occurred after FlyDubai halted service on the Tel Aviv route and El Al cancelled scheduled return flights. Israeli officials noted that Israel had long requested that Dubai airport authorities tighten security measures for flights bound for Tel Aviv. That request followed earlier seasonal restrictions imposed by Israel on flights to Dubai due to broader regional security conditions.
