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UAE investigators confirmed that a flydubai co-pilot attempted a “terrorist act” by attacking the flight’s captain, Smit Machchhar, with an emergency cockpit axe during a flight to Israel.
Identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, the co-pilot tried to seize control of the aircraft and crash it, causing the plane to plunge nearly 17,000 feet within a minute.
The Indian captain managed to unlock the cockpit door, enabling crew members and passengers to rush the assailant, overpower him, and force an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
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Authorities in the UAE retain the suspect in custody while continuing their investigation into his motives.
Media reports indicate that Omani authorities had previously removed Hammami from its national airline over extremist concerns, while intelligence sources revealed he possessed radical materials and had spent time in Syria.
The incident sparked swift international reactions regarding security and state sponsorship.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the suspect had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination” and questioned aviation screening protocols, noting, “We have constraints that say that you can’t have pilots from countries that don’t have diplomatic relations with Israel. Obviously, he was able to go through that.”
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning regarding potential state links, cautioning that if Iran was found to be involved, “the country would be hit very hard.”
The first flight carrying stranded Israelis home from the UAE landed safely in Tel Aviv following the brief disruption.
