FlyDubai Attacker Had Been Banned From Flying by Oman for Radical Views: Report
- On Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, a Flydubai co-pilot allegedly stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar aboard Flight FZ1073, sending the Boeing 737 MAX 8 into a rapid descent before passengers and reserve pilots landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- Omani authorities previously barred the co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, from flying due to concerns about extremist views, yet Flydubai hired the Omani national for the sensitive Dubai–Tel Aviv route.
- Captain Machchhar, though seriously injured, unlocked the cockpit door to allow passengers to restrain the attacker; the suspect is now in the United Arab Emirates "cooperating" with investigators examining whether he acted alone.
- Flydubai suspended all flights to Israel until October 15, while Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev ordered a formal review of airline operations and Etihad Airways organized repatriation for stranded passengers.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged the attacker underwent "Islamist radical indoctrination," but security officials report no evidence of Iranian involvement despite U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion of possible Tehran links.
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WSJ: Flydubai Attacker Was Grounded by Oman Over 'Radical Views'
Prime Minister Netanyahu: "The attacker underwent Islamist radicalization. He intended to crash the plane with all its passengers on board" The post WSJ: Flydubai Attacker Was Grounded by Oman Over ‘Radical Views’ first appeared on Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion.
Axe-wielding FlyDubai co-pilot identified as Omani national with previous extremism concerns
The co-pilot on a FlyDubai flight that nearly crashed with 182 people on board has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, according to three people with knowledge of the situation.
The pilot suspected of attacking the commander of a flight from FlyDubai to Tel Aviv had been removed last year from Oman's national airline after concerns about his extremist visions, according to sources heard by the US broadcaster CNN. The case gained new information after the identification of social media publications that may be linked to the suspect and confirmation, by the United Arab Emirates prosecutor, that the weapon used in the atta…
The incident has set off alarms about the intelligence and civil aviation protocols in the United Arab Emirates.
The co-pilot accused of attacking the Captain on an Israel-bound flight and trying to sixteen the controls was an Omani national who'd been barred from flying on his nation's airline due to concerns about extreme views, official said on Saturday. The co-pilot has been IDed as Hamam al-Hammami, according to...
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