A Flydubai co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe and tried to seize control of an Israel-bound aircraft in an attempted terrorist act, the United Arab Emirates’ attorney general said Saturday, announcing new findings from the investigation into Wednesday’s cockpit emergency.
Flight FZ1073 was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when the attack triggered a sharp descent. Passengers and crew intervened after the injured captain opened the cockpit door, helping overpower the suspect. A reserve Flydubai pilot aboard the aircraft subsequently landed it in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters.
Reuters and NBC News have identified the suspected attacker as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, citing sources familiar with the case. Emirati authorities have not publicly confirmed his identity. ABC News reported, citing intelligence and law enforcement officials, that Oman Air had previously removed him from flight training after extremist materials were discovered, allowing him to continue in an administrative role.
Questions about his employment history have also reached Morocco. Royal Air Maroc told Reuters that he completed three months of training with the airline in 2025, but that his subsequent application for employment was rejected. The airline did not explain the rejection. Investigators are examining how he later obtained a cockpit position with Flydubai, ABC News reported.
The injured captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, is recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital, India’s embassy said Saturday. Speaking with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, Machchhar recalled recognizing that the aircraft was plunging while he lay wounded on the cockpit floor. He said he forced himself to reach the door, enabling others to enter and help save those aboard.
UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said investigators were still establishing the suspect’s motives and possible connections while examining physical and digital evidence. The suspect was transferred from Saudi Arabia to Abu Dhabi Thursday, and Israeli investigators are expected to participate in the UAE-led inquiry. NBC News reported that a senior U.S. official briefed on the Israeli investigation said there were no indications of Iranian involvement.
Flydubai has temporarily suspended services to Tel Aviv until further notice at the authorities’ request. The airline said Saturday that it could not provide further details while the investigation remained underway. Its chief executive, Ghaith Al Ghaith, has thanked the captain, assisting pilots, cabin crew and passengers for their roles in securing the aircraft and preventing disaster.
