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Israeli officials with knowledge of the UAE-led probe told Reuters that the co-pilot identified as Hamam al-Hammami had decided to target a flight to Tel Aviv even prior to his employment with flydubai after researching carriers that operate such routes. A separate source briefed on the interrogation said al-Hammami had flown an earlier trip to the Israeli city this year but chose not to act because he knew one of the crew members aboard. The co-pilot told questioners he visited Ben Gurion Airport on multiple occasions including a trip in June to gather intelligence for the attack according to accounts shared with The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post.
The UAE attorney-general’s office stated that al-Hammami attacked captain Smit Machchhar an Indian national with the cockpit emergency crash axe on September 30 aboard flight FZ1073 from Dubai. Flight tracking information from Flightradar24 showed the Boeing 737 MAX descending nearly 14000 feet in less than 30 seconds after the autopilot was disengaged as the co-pilot attempted to seize control and bashed the instrument panel. Machchhar despite serious stab wounds reached the door release allowing passengers and an off-duty crew member to enter the cockpit overpower the attacker and stabilise the jet for an emergency landing in Tabuk Saudi Arabia Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported.
Netanyahu described the captain’s actions as those of a true hero who displayed extraordinary bravery in fighting back while covered in blood and credited passengers with preventing a major disaster that could have claimed more than 170 lives mostly Israeli citizens. The Israeli leader told Fox News the co-pilot had undergone Islamist radical indoctrination was suicidal and sought to kill Jews based on evidence from his social media accounts. Al-Hammami acted as a lone wolf with no apparent accomplices according to preliminary findings shared by CBS and cited in The Times of Israel.
Corriere della Sera reported citing Israeli intelligence that the co-pilot intended to kill the captain covertly shut down the engines and direct the plane toward Tel Aviv skyscrapers or Ben Gurion Airport itself before Israeli fighters could respond. Business Standard noted that al-Hammami had allegedly planned the attack prior to his hiring by the Dubai-based low-cost carrier and viewed the September 30 flight as his opportunity after passing up an earlier chance. The New York Times reported that Omani authorities had previously scrutinised al-Hammami over his embrace of extreme Islamist views during his seven years at Oman Air before he joined flydubai in 2025.
Flydubai issued an initial statement after the diversion saying the underlying reasons remained unknown and cautioning against premature speculation while later confirming a full investigation was underway in coordination with authorities. Israeli officials are participating in the UAE probe to examine motives background and any potential links Reuters sources indicated. Saudi authorities initially questioned al-Hammami before transferring him to Abu Dhabi where Emirati prosecutors continue to investigate whether the incident connected to any terrorist organisation or foreign direction.
The event has prompted Israeli authorities to tighten screening procedures for pilots on flights into the country according to multiple local reports following the September 30 diversion that also saw two off-duty flydubai pilots assist in the safe landing at Tabuk. Al Jazeera noted that Defence Minister Israel Katz labelled the episode an attempted jihadist terror attack based on preliminary information that the co-pilot sought to kill everyone aboard. No formal charges have been announced against al-Hammami who remains in UAE custody as the inquiry examines technical evidence digital records and his full history.
