In brief
On 30 September 2026 a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was taken over by an Omani co‑pilot who allegedly planned to crash the aircraft into Tel Aviv airport. UAE Attorney‑General Hamad Saif al‑Shamsi claims the man’s extremist drift started while he studied in Australia, where he was exposed to radical content. Passengers and Indian captain Smit Machchhar managed to regain control, forcing the plane to land in Saudi Arabia. The incident has raised questions about security vetting and the presence of a pilot from a non‑diplomatic country on an Israeli flight. Australian law enforcement is probing the man’s links to the country.
Dubai, 30 September 2026 – A Flydubai flight (FZ1073) from Dubai to Tel Aviv was hijacked by an Omani co‑pilot whose name is widely reported as Hamam al‑Hammami. According to UAE Attorney‑General Hamad Saif al‑Shamsi, the man had begun a “drift towards extremism and terrorism” while studying in Australia between 2015 and 2017. The co‑pilot allegedly tried to crash the aircraft into Tel Aviv airport, wounding the captain with an axe before being overpowered by passengers.
Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was hailed as a hero after he unlocked the cockpit door amid the attack, allowing passengers to regain control of the aircraft. The flight diverted to Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing, where the damaged tail fin was inspected on the ground.
The UAE’s report added that the pilot had intensified exposure to extremist material, including online content glorifying terrorist attacks, and had trained in boxing under a private coach to prepare for a “suicide attack.” Australian authorities confirmed they were investigating his links to the country, with the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team coordinating the inquiry.
Officials said the pilot had previously been barred from flying by Oman Air due to concerns over extremist views, yet was employed by Flydubai after standard security checks that did not probe for radicalisation. Israeli aviation regulations, which prohibit pilots from countries without formal diplomatic ties to Israel, were cited as a key concern.
The incident has prompted a review of international vetting procedures and sparked debate over how security lapses allowed a potentially radicalised individual to board a flight destined for Israel.
