Co-Pilot in Attempted Flydubai Hijacking Intended to Crash Aircraft into Tel Aviv, Investigation Reveals

Chilling details have emerged regarding the attempted hijacking of a flydubai flight bound for Israel, as interrogators reveal the co-pilot intended to crash the Boeing 737 MAX into Tel Aviv in an attack reminiscent of 11th September 2001.

The incident occurred mid-flight aboard FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, carrying over 170 passengers and crew, the majority of whom were Israeli citizens. The co-pilot, who has been identified across multiple reports as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar in the cockpit using an emergency crash axe. 

A disaster was narrowly averted when passengers and crew subdued the attacker. Captain Machchhar, who survived the stabbing, managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing an off-duty flydubai pilot traveling as a passenger to take command and land the plane safely in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

UAE Prosecutor General Hamad al-Shamsi officially classified the airborne assault as a "terrorist attack" and a "terrorist act."

According to sources briefed on the ongoing investigation in the UAE, the co-pilot admitted during questioning that he applied to flydubai specifically to target flights heading to Israel. His plan involved attacking the captain, maintaining standard communications to receive clearance into Israeli airspace, and then crashing the aircraft into Ben Gurion airport or a high-rise building in central Tel Aviv. He further disclosed that he had operated a previous flight to Tel Aviv earlier this year with the intention of crashing it, but aborted the plan after recognizing a passenger on board.

Investigators believe the suspect acted as a "lone wolf" without direct direction from foreign governments or militant groups, though Israeli leadership noted he had undergone extreme ideological radicalization.

The attack has raised intense questions regarding security vetting processes across regional aviation bodies. Reports indicate the co-pilot was previously grounded by Oman Air and transferred to an administrative position due to concerns over his extremist views. He subsequently secured a piloting position with flydubai after passing standard security checks that failed to flag his past radicalization.

Furthermore, Israeli aviation rules prohibit citizens of countries without formal diplomatic ties to Israel, such as Oman, from operating flights into the country. The breach has prompted internal friction in Israel regarding oversight responsibility, leading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to direct the National Security Council to re-evaluate all security protocols applied to foreign commercial airlines flying into Israeli airspace.

Additional details regarding the suspect's background show he completed three months of theoretical training with Royal Air Maroc in 2025 before his application was turned down, and he completed a distance-learning course in aviation management through the UK-based Buckinghamshire New University without undertaking flight training there.

Police and intelligence agencies in multiple countries are currently reviewing the co-pilot's past overseas travels to determine potential links to radical networks.

In Australia, the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which includes the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Victoria Police, and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), has launched a formal inquiry into his time living in the country. The suspect held an Australian student visa from 2014 to 2017 while enrolled at RMIT University in Melbourne, though he departed before finishing his engineering degree.

Addressing the ongoing investigation, an AFP spokesperson stated:

"The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (VIC JCTT), comprising the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO, can confirm it is investigating the man’s links to Australia…An update will be provided at an appropriate time."

Confirming his history at the campus, an RMIT university spokesperson said that the university "is aware of media reporting of a former student alleged to be involved in the Flydubai flight incident. The individual was enrolled at RMIT but did not successfully complete an engineering qualification…As this is an ongoing investigation, the University is unable to provide further comment."

Authorities in New Zealand are also reviewing the suspect's past travel history following confirmation from New Zealand Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Johnson that the co-pilot spent time in the country.

The UAE remains the lead jurisdiction in the investigation alongside international partners, and flydubai has temporarily suspended its route between Dubai and Tel Aviv while the probe continues.