UAE says FlyDubai co-pilot used axe in alleged terrorist attack as probe continues

The United Arab Emirates has now publicly said the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of FlyDubai flight FZ1073 used a crash axe and attempted to carry out a terrorist attack. Prosecutor general Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said the investigation is continuing to uncover the circumstances of the incident, its motives and any related connections, while technical examinations and reviews of physical and digital evidence are completed. The flight was bound for Tel Aviv and carried 182 people aboard.

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Authorities identified the accused as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, according to people familiar with the case cited in the supplied material. The reports say he had previously been removed from flying in Oman over concerns that he held extremist views and was later moved to an administrative role at Oman Air. The material also says his Instagram account was active until the day of the flight and was then deleted, while investigators are still trying to establish how he was working in the cockpit.

The case has widened beyond an aviation safety inquiry because it now carries a formal terrorism allegation and raises questions about crew vetting, cockpit access and cross-border security coordination. Security agencies from four regional countries were said to be working to establish the co-pilot's motives, with assistance from the United States and other Western governments. The route itself is also sensitive because Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic relations, and Israel says it has agreements with foreign carriers to prevent pilots from flying into the country if they are citizens of states without diplomatic ties.

The incident has already drawn attention because it involved an alleged insider attack rather than an external threat to the aircraft. The captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, was reported to have been injured during the confrontation but still managed to open the cockpit door, allowing others to intervene and help stabilise the flight. Earlier reports said the aircraft lost altitude sharply before being brought under control and diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

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What remains unclear is the full motive behind the alleged attack and whether investigators will establish any wider network or planning. The UAE has not yet publicly set out the outcome of its technical review, and the supplied material does not confirm whether any additional suspects are being pursued. Further statements from prosecutors, airline officials and investigators are likely to determine how the case is ultimately classified and whether more charges follow.

UAE authorities have now publicly described the attack on Flydubai flight FZ1073 as a possible terrorist act, adding a new legal and security dimension to an incident that had already forced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain inside the cockpit with a crash axe and tried to seize control of the aircraft. The plane lost altitude sharply during the altercation before being brought under control.

The UAE prosecutor general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said investigators were treating the episode as a possible terrorist attack, the first such public classification by an Emirati authority in the case. A source with direct knowledge identified the co-pilot as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national who had reportedly been barred from flying over possible extremist views. Emirati and Israeli officials are now jointly examining whether the attack had terrorist motives and whether anyone else may have directed or supported it.

The new details sharpen the significance of a case that has already raised concerns about cockpit security and airline vetting. The aircraft was carrying more than 170 passengers and crew, and reports say it plunged by more than 5,000 metres in just over 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia. Passengers and crew panicked during the incident, but the aircraft was eventually diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia and landed safely after the cockpit struggle was contained.

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The route itself adds to the sensitivity of the case because it linked the United Arab Emirates and Tel Aviv, a connection that has carried political and security importance since the normalisation of ties between the two countries. The fact that the alleged attacker was a member of the flight crew has also intensified scrutiny of airline screening and cockpit access procedures. Aviation security experts generally treat insider threats as especially serious because they can bypass many of the safeguards designed to stop outside interference.

The case has also drawn attention because of the emergency response inside the aircraft. Earlier accounts said the captain managed to open the cockpit door while injured, allowing others to intervene and help stabilise the situation. That sequence appears to have prevented a far worse outcome on a flight carrying a large number of passengers, and it has become central to the public understanding of how the incident was contained.

What remains unclear is the full motive behind the alleged attack and whether investigators will establish any wider network or planning. The UAE and Israeli inquiry is continuing, and the public terrorism designation suggests the case may move further into the realm of national security and criminal investigation. Further statements from prosecutors, airline officials and investigators are likely to determine how the incident is ultimately classified and whether additional charges follow.

UAE authorities have publicly described the attack on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv as a possible terrorist act, marking a significant development in the investigation. The incident involved flight FZ1073, which was carrying more than 170 passengers and crew when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with an emergency axe and tried to take control of the aircraft. The plane landed safely in Tabuk, in north-western Saudi Arabia, after passengers and crew subdued the attacker.

The UAE prosecutor general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said the episode was being treated as a possible act of terrorism, the first such public classification by an Emirati authority. Officials said the aircraft lost about 5,000 metres of altitude in a little more than 30 seconds during the incident, underscoring how quickly the situation escalated. The co-pilot was detained after the landing, while investigators continued to examine the circumstances, the motive and whether anyone else was involved.

The case has drawn attention because it combines aviation safety, criminal investigation and possible terrorism concerns on a commercial route linking the Gulf and Israel. The flight was operating between Dubai and Tel Aviv, a route that has carried political and security sensitivity since the normalisation of ties between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. The fact that the aircraft was brought down safely despite a violent confrontation in the cockpit has also highlighted the role of crew coordination and emergency procedures.

Authorities are still analysing physical and digital evidence, and the identity of the co-pilot has not been formally confirmed by the UAE in the supplied material. A source with direct knowledge of the case identified him as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national, but that has not been independently confirmed by the authorities cited in the reports. Flydubai said the circumstances remain under investigation and declined to provide further detail.

The incident also comes against a broader backdrop of concern over threats originating inside the cockpit rather than from outside the aircraft. In this case, the captain was able to open the cockpit door after the attack, allowing others to help stabilise the situation and another pilot on board to take control. That sequence prevented a potentially far more serious outcome on a flight carrying more than 170 people.

What remains unclear is the motive behind the alleged attack and whether investigators will establish any wider links or planning. Officials in the UAE and Israel are continuing their inquiries, and the public terrorism designation suggests the case may now move beyond an aviation safety review into a broader security investigation. Further statements from prosecutors, airline officials and investigators are likely to determine how the incident is ultimately classified.

A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced into an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the captain was attacked by his co-pilot in the cockpit, according to accounts from the pilot and officials cited in the supplied reports. The incident involved flight FZ1073, which was carrying 174 passengers when the confrontation took place on Wednesday. The captain, Smit Machchhar, later said from hospital that he believed he had to get up to save the passengers.

He said he managed to open the cockpit door while still injured, allowing others to enter and help stabilise the situation. The reports say the aircraft descended sharply during the incident, with one account describing a loss of around 17,000 feet in about a minute and another saying it plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Machchhar was reportedly stabbed by his co-pilot in what is being treated as an apparent attempt to crash the plane.

He told Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video call from his hospital bed that he could not let the passengers die. The call was later shared publicly by Modi, and the pilot was shown speaking from an Abu Dhabi hospital bed with visible injuries. Passengers and crew played a direct role in bringing the situation under control after the cockpit door was opened.

One report says passengers rushed into the cockpit and helped contain the attacker, while the aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing. The captain said he was fighting for his life when he realised the aircraft was going down. He added that years of aviation experience helped him understand what was happening even while he was injured and under attack.

The incident has drawn attention because it involved a serious breach of cockpit safety on a commercial flight carrying hundreds of people. Aviation security depends heavily on strict control of the flight deck, and any violent confrontation inside the cockpit raises immediate concerns about passenger safety and crew procedures. The fact that the aircraft was able to land safely after such a rapid descent has made the case especially significant.

It also places renewed focus on how airlines and regulators respond when a threat comes from inside the cockpit rather than from outside the aircraft. Machchhar's account adds a personal dimension to a case already being examined for its security implications. He said he had 17 years of aviation experience, including 11 years as a captain, and described the moment he realised he needed to act despite his injuries.

Another report said he recited the Hanuman Chalisa, a Hindu devotional hymn, during the ordeal as he tried to steady himself. The pilot's remarks suggest that the emergency was not only a technical crisis but also a struggle for control of the aircraft in real time. The reports also indicate that senior political figures have taken note of the incident.

Modi praised the pilot's actions and said they helped avert a major tragedy, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also credited the captain and passengers with preventing catastrophe. The flight was bound for Tel Aviv, making the event relevant to aviation links between the Gulf and Israel. Because the aircraft was carrying 174 people, the potential scale of harm was substantial even though the emergency landing prevented a worse outcome.

The case comes against a wider backdrop of heightened sensitivity around aviation security and the risks posed by violent acts on board aircraft. The supplied reports say the circumstances are under investigation, including the motive behind the co-pilot's alleged attack. One report frames the incident as an apparent attempt to crash the plane, while another says the co-pilot was allegedly radicalised, though that claim is not detailed in the supplied material.

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