The co-pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073 has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, a citizen of Oman who was banned from flying in his country due to suspicions of radicalization, according to media such as the AP agency, the Saudi channel Al Arabiya and media such as 'CNN'. The Emirati attorney general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, assured that al-Hammami intended to carry out a "terrorist act", after attacking the captain with an ax and trying to take control of the aircraft.

First modification: 10/03/2026 - 16:47 Last modification: 10/03/2026 - 18:26

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The investigation carried out by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Flydubai flight FZ1073, which had to make an emergency landing on September 30, showed that the co-pilot of the aircraft planned "a terrorist act."

To do so, he "attacked the captain on board with the emergency axe" and tried to "take command of the plane," according to what the UAE Attorney General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said this Saturday, quoted by the official press agency, WAM.

Al Shamsi stressed that "investigations continue to clarify all the circumstances of the incident, its motives and the connections related to it, in addition to completing technical checks and analysis of material and digital evidence."

Aircraft cockpits are equipped with an ax for emergency situations such as accidents or fires. The prosecutor's statements constitute the first reconstruction of the events by Emirati investigators.

Anwar Gargash, senior advisor to the UAE president, stated on social media X following the prosecutor's press conference that the Gulf country has zero tolerance for terrorism and would not show any leniency towards extremist rhetoric.

Meanwhile, Flydubai stated on Saturday that the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation and that it is not in a position to comment further. "There are many questions at this time," an airline spokesperson said in an email cited by the AP agency.

The tragedy was avoided thanks to the fact that Captain Smit Machchhar, seriously injured by the ax blows, managed to open the cabin door of the Boeing 737 in the middle of the attack, which allowed the entry of a group of passengers and crew members who subdued the co-pilot, while the passengers screamed, according to the captain's story.

Read also"I was not going to let others die": Indian pilot reveals details of attack on Flydubai flight

The Flydubai reserve pilot traveling in the aircraft took control of the aircraft and stabilized it. Finally, the flight—from Dubai and bound for Tel Aviv—made an emergency landing with 183 people on board on September 30, after a descent so steep that part of the rudder came off. The aircraft plummeted about 5,060 meters in just over 30 seconds, according to data from the aeronautical tracking portal FlightRadar24.

Videos recorded inside the cabin show the captain and co-pilot injured, blood stains on the walls and the co-pilot being restrained by passengers.

Both the captain and co-pilot were later transferred to the United Arab Emirates. The passengers, mostly Israelis, returned home Wednesday afternoon on a separate plane, amid cheers.

A source close to the investigation told Reuters on Friday that Israeli officials will question the co-pilot in the United Arab Emirates.

The Israeli ambassador to the United Arab Emirates clarified that the motive for the crime has not yet been determined, while Israeli security officials have not detected, for the moment, any involvement from Iran, which maintains an open conflict with the US and Israel.

US President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to hit Tehran "very hard" if it is confirmed that the Islamic Republic was behind the incident.

A co-pilot banned in Oman for extremist ideas

The co-pilot was identified as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani citizen born in the United Arab Emirates - to a Syrian mother and an Omani father - according to three people with knowledge of the situation, including a diplomat from the Gulf and another Westerner, cited under anonymity by the AP agency as they were not authorized to speak to the press.

The identity of the pilot has also been confirmed by other media such as the British agency Reuters.

Al-Hammami was banned from flying in Oman due to concerns that he had adopted extremist ideas, a regional official and another person familiar with the matter told the AP. Consequently, the co-pilot had been transferred to an administrative position at Oman Air. The Saudi channel Al Arabiya and media such as 'CNN' also verified this history.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared to 'Fox News' on Friday, without providing evidence, that the co-pilot had been subjected to a process of "Islamist radicalization."

In 2025, Al-Hammami "completed a three-month theoretical training period as part of the selection process" with Royal Air Maroc, Morocco's national airline, but "at the end of said period, his application was not selected," the company said in an email cited by the AP.

Later, he was hired at Flydubai, based in the United Arab Emirates. The Gulf diplomat cited by AP explained that, although the usual security checks had been carried out before his hiring, these focused on whether he had a criminal record and did not delve into the search for possible signs of radicalization.

An Israeli source told CNN that the suspect had been working for Flydubai for only eight months.

The Israeli government has declared it has agreements with foreign airlines to prevent pilots from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from flying there, such as Oman, a requirement apparently not met on flight FZ1073.

Netanyahu said that his government will analyze the legal loophole that allowed the co-pilot to board the Flydubai plane and announced that it will intensify security checks on pilots flying to the country.

Following the revelation of the progress of the Emirati investigation, questions emerged about the rigor with which Flydubai selects its employees and about Israel's strict airport security protocols.

The investigations now seek to answer whether the co-pilot acted alone. al-Hammami's Instagram account was active until the day of the flight and was then deleted. Netanyahu declared on Friday that anyone involved would pay a "heavy price."

With information from AP, AFP, Reuters, EFE and local media.

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