Investigators have concluded that the FlyDubai co-pilot who attacked the captain of flight FZ1073 intended to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, according to multiple US and Israeli media reports citing sources close to the multinational inquiry. The flight, which departed from Dubai, was carrying more than 180 passengers when the incident unfolded mid-air.
The suspect, identified by several sources as Omani national Hamam Al-Hammami, is believed to have acted alone. After assaulting Captain Smit Machchhar with an axe, he reportedly planned to follow standard approach and landing procedures toward Ben Gurion, only to deliberately crash the plane at the last moment. The attack was thwarted when passengers rushed into the cockpit, subdued the co-pilot, and helped stabilize the aircraft.
Months of preparation and a previous flight to Israel
Israeli media, citing sources with knowledge of the investigation, reported that Al-Hammami had been preparing the attack for several months. He had previously flown to Israel on the same route, allegedly to gather information about the airport and flight procedures. Some reports suggest he had considered targeting an earlier Tel Aviv-bound flight this year but changed his mind.
The revelations have raised increasingly difficult questions about the circumstances of the narrowly avoided tragedy. Israeli Channel 12 reported that Israel has asked the United Arab Emirates to expand its questioning to include the entire flight crew, as investigators seek to understand the harrowing minutes between the co-pilot's attack and the passengers' intervention.
In the first official comments from Emirati authorities, UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said on Saturday that the co-pilot “attempted to carry out a terrorist attack” when he attacked the captain and tried to take control of the aircraft. The statement marked a significant shift, as earlier reports had described the incident as a hijacking attempt.
The incident has drawn international attention, not least because of the sensitive nature of the Dubai–Tel Aviv route, which was established after the 2020 Abraham Accords normalizing relations between the UAE and Israel. The flight made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, where the suspect was taken into custody. Passengers later described the chaos and fear on board, with some recounting how they heard screams from the cockpit and saw the captain emerge with injuries.
Captain Machchhar, who was stabbed during the assault, has since spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to reports. A passenger who helped subdue the attacker also met Netanyahu at Ben Gurion Airport, where the flight eventually landed after being cleared to continue. The captain's account of the cockpit struggle has been central to the investigation, as authorities piece together the sequence of events.
The case has also taken on a geopolitical dimension, with US President Donald Trump warning Iran of severe retaliation over the attack, though no direct link between the suspect and Tehran has been established. The UAE has condemned the act as terrorism, and the airline has said it is cooperating fully with investigators.
For European observers, the incident underscores the fragility of aviation security in an era of heightened tensions. The route between the Gulf and Israel is a key artery for business and tourism, and any threat to it has ripple effects across the region. European carriers, including those operating from hubs like Frankfurt, Paris, and London, have long maintained strict cockpit security protocols, and this case is likely to prompt a review of procedures across the industry.
As the investigation continues, questions remain about how the co-pilot managed to bring an axe on board and why his behavior did not raise alarms earlier. The UAE's prosecutor general has promised a thorough inquiry, but the international community will be watching closely to ensure that lessons are learned and that such an attack can never be repeated.
