Flydubai Co-Pilot Planned Suicide Attack on Tel Aviv Airport, Investigation Finds

Hamam al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani co-pilot employed by Flydubai, planned to crash a passenger aircraft into the terminal building at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026, according to the United Arab Emirates' top prosecutor. The UAE's Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said al-Hammami intended to seize control of Flight FZ1073 and execute a suicide attack targeting the passenger terminal with the aim of causing maximum casualties. Nearly all 174 to 182 passengers aboard were Israeli nationals.

Al-Hammami told investigators that his plan was inspired by the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. According to prosecutors, the co-pilot's radicalization began in 2017 while studying at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, where he was exposed to extremist literature and online content glorifying terrorist organizations and suicide attacks. He subsequently became inclined toward terrorism and used two previous flights to Tel Aviv to familiarize himself with the route and airport before the attack. To prepare, al-Hammami engaged in physical training, including boxing lessons, and increased his consumption of material promoting terrorism.

The attack was thwarted when al-Hammami attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe in the cockpit, wounding him severely. Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door despite his injuries, alerting passengers and crew to the assault. Passengers and crew members overpowered al-Hammami and regained control of the aircraft, which had plunged approximately 14,000 to 17,000 feet in roughly two minutes before stabilizing at around 15,000 feet. Two reserve pilots who were passengers took control of the jet and landed it safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia at approximately 9:45 a.m. local time.

Al-Hammami admitted to acting alone in his detailed confession before prosecutors, though investigations are continuing to verify this claim. UAE investigators found that al-Hammami had worked for multiple airlines prior to joining Flydubai in January 2026: Oman Air from 2020 to 2024, and Royal Air Maroc for several months in 2025. A CNN source indicated he was removed from flight training with Oman Air due to concerns over radical views, though he was reassigned to another role at the airline. Royal Air Maroc stated he trained for three months in 2025 as part of a pre-employment process but was not selected.

Flydubai's security and professional vetting procedures found no indications of al-Hammami's extremist inclinations or terrorist intentions. He held a valid pilot's license, provided a certificate of good conduct, and passed required security checks. The UAE's Attorney General stated that none of Flydubai's procedures revealed any red flags regarding his suitability for employment. Authorities have indicated they found no evidence of involvement by terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda or Islamic State.

On October 10, Israeli President Isaac Herzog awarded the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism to six Israelis who assisted in subduing the co-pilot. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the captain and passengers for their bravery and ordered a thorough review of all security aspects of foreign civil aviation to Israel. Australian and New Zealand authorities launched investigations into al-Hammami's background after it emerged he had studied and received flight training in both countries.