Flydubai Co-Pilot Attacked Captain With Axe in Terrorist Act

A Flydubai co-pilot, identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with an emergency axe and attempted to seize control of Flight FZ1073 en route to Israel on September 30, 2026.

The United Arab Emirates has described the incident as an attempted terrorist operation. Al-Hammami reportedly told investigators in Saudi Arabia that he wanted to crash the plane and was not afraid of death. The flight, carrying over 170 people, plunged thousands of feet before passengers and crew intervened to regain control, leading to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Investigators are examining al-Hammami's motive and potential links to outside powers. He had previously been barred from flying in Oman due to concerns over extremist views and was moved to an administrative role at Oman Air before being hired by Flydubai. Questions are being raised about how he was cleared to fly despite these prior concerns.

Australian authorities are investigating al-Hammami's links to Australia, where he studied on a student visa between 2015 and 2017. His visa was canceled in 2019. Social media posts attributed to al-Hammami reportedly expressed violence against women and opposition to Jews and gay people. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Israel are conducting investigations into the incident.