Mid-flight cockpit assault

FlyDubai flight FL1073 departed Dubai at 07:05 local time on Wednesday, carrying 174 passengers and crew toward Tel Aviv. Approximately one hour into the flight, while the Boeing 737 traveled at a cruising speed of 850 kilometers per hour on autopilot, 29-year-old Omani copilot Hamam al-Hammami asked 38-year-old captain Smit Machchhar for permission to perform daily prayers. Machchhar looked forward out of courtesy during the prayer, but four to five minutes later al-Hammami grabbed the cockpit emergency crash axe and struck the captain on the back of the head. Machchhar sustained severe lacerations while al-Hammami disconnected the autopilot, forced the controls down, and threw the aircraft into a sudden descent of nearly 5,000 meters. Despite blood loss and repeated blows, Machchhar managed to turn the physical door knob from within the cockpit to unlock the armored barrier.

Describing the cockpit confrontation from his hospital bed, Machchhar recalled his initial confusion during the attack.

“My first thought was that the plane was damaged and something was wrong. But then more blows followed. That was when I realized that it was not the plane, but the man who was in the cockpit with me.”

Passenger intervention and emergency diversion

Passengers and a woman seated near the front cabin heard the violent struggle and rushed through the opened door to restrain the copilot. Several travelers pinned al-Hammami to the floor while he violently struck instrument panels in an attempt to crash the airliner. A relief flight crew traveling on board entered the cockpit, regained control of the aircraft, and diverted the flight for an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. All 182 passengers and crew survived the incident, with Machchhar hospitalized in the United Arab Emirates for treatment of head trauma. Emirati authorities immediately took al-Hammami into custody upon his return, with UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi declaring that the copilot had initiated an active terrorist act on board.

History of extremism and screening failures

Investigative findings revealed that al-Hammami had previously been grounded by Oman Air due to security concerns over radical Islamist ideology and visits to extremist websites. The Omani national, born to an Omani father and a Syrian mother, had spent seven years at Oman Air before being transferred to a desk position and departing the company in February 2025. Royal Air Maroc later rejected his employment application following three months of pilot training between June 2025 and January 2026. FlyDubai hired al-Hammami eight months prior to the attack, despite his history and a lack of formal flight school accreditation at Buckinghamshire New University, where he completed a distance-learning degree in aviation management in 2023. Australian federal authorities also launched inquiries into his residency between 2015 and 2017 under a student visa.

Official reactions and security reviews

The incident prompted immediate diplomatic and intelligence reviews across the Middle East and South Asia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Machchhar during a televised phone call and invited him alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a ceremonial torch during Israel's Independence Day celebrations in May.

“You are a true hero of the brave peoples of India and Israel, and you are a hero of the whole world.”

Security authorities in Israel confirmed that the national tax authority had received FlyDubai's advance crew manifest, while investigators examine how an Omani citizen from a nation without formal diplomatic ties to Israel cleared aviation security protocols. Meanwhile, an analysis of more than 2,000 social media posts linked to al-Hammami between November 2021 and August 2022 showed statements promoting violence against women, praising Russian military operations, and expressing support for al-Qaeda leaders including Ayman al-Zawahiri.