October 3, 2026 — Update. The UAE’s top prosecutor has formally called the September 30 attack on flydubai (FZ) Flight 1073 an attempted terrorist attack, and says the first officer used the cockpit’s emergency crash axe on his captain.
What’s new since yesterday
- A terrorism finding. UAE Attorney General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot carried out a pre-planned attack and tried to take control of the aircraft. This is the first official Emirati account of what happened on the flight deck.
- The weapon. Prosecutors say the first officer used the crash axe carried in the cockpit as emergency equipment. Earlier accounts described a stabbing.
- The first officer is named. He is Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national born in the UAE. He remains in custody.
- A previous grounding. The Associated Press reports that Oman Air had barred al-Hammami from flying over concerns about extremist views and moved him to an administrative job. flydubai later hired him. AP says it is not yet clear how far he was vetted. The Times of Israel reports the checks he went through looked at criminal convictions.
- How close it came. The Times of Israel reports the Boeing 737 MAX 8 dropped nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds. AP reports part of the rudder was torn away in the descent.
Captain Smit Machchhar, badly hurt, unlocked the cockpit door so that passengers and off-duty pilots on board could restrain the first officer. The aircraft, carrying 174 passengers, landed at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. Dubai’s Crown Prince visited the captain in hospital.
flydubai told AP that “there are many questions at this stage” and declined further comment. Oman’s government has not commented publicly.
Where things stand
| Item | Status on October 3 |
|---|---|
| flydubai flights to and from Israel | Suspended; restart date TBA |
| Israeli repatriation flights from Dubai | Arkia flew the first on Friday, October 2; El Al’s flights were cancelled after landing permission was withdrawn |
| Baggage on repatriation flights | One personal bag in the cabin; luggage moved separately |
| Investigation | Evidence from the flight deck under analysis; security agencies from four regional countries involved, with US and Western help |
| Final findings | TBA |
Emirati and Israeli officials are in contact to keep the incident from turning into a long suspension of flights, Türkiye Today reports, citing Israeli broadcaster KAN.
What it means for non-revs
- Dubai–Tel Aviv is still not a standby market. flydubai has no restart date. The Israeli repatriation flights are few, sell out fast and carry one cabin bag per person. Do not plan interline travel on them.
- Route around it. If you need to get between the Gulf and Israel on passes, look at connections through a third country and check loads carefully. Displaced passengers are filling those seats too.
- Vetting is now the industry question. A pilot grounded by one airline was hired by another. That raises the question of how background and reference checks are shared between carriers. No rule change has been announced.
- For crew, the captain’s actions and the role of the off-duty pilots on board are the part of this story colleagues will be talking about for a long time.
Sources
- Associated Press via KY3 — UAE says FlyDubai co-pilot attacked captain with cockpit’s crash axe
- The Times of Israel — UAE says flydubai copilot used cockpit emergency ax to attack captain in ‘terrorist act’
- AIRLIVE — UAE Prosecutor: Flydubai Co-Pilot Used Cockpit Emergency Axe in Attempted Terrorist Attack
- Live and Let’s Fly — Chilling: Flydubai Pilot Was Banned From Flying In Oman Over Extremism Concerns Before Attempt To Crash Flight
- Türkiye Today — First Israeli repatriation flight leaves Dubai after FlyDubai suspension
- Ynetnews — Dubai rescue flights to Israel cleared after last-minute security crisis threatens operation
