UAE Says Omani Flydubai Co-Pilot Attacked Captain With Axe, Tried To Seize Israel-Found Jet For “Terror Act”

State news agency WAM quoted UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi as saying the Flydubai Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the captain with a crash axe tried to seize control of the passenger jet bound for Israel and attempted to carry out a “terrorist attack.”

Planning, attempted terrorist act behind flydubai flight FZ1073 incident: Attorney-General#WamNews https://t.co/OWxoZ9nWWR pic.twitter.com/JCE3NuGppa

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) October 3, 2026

“Investigations into the incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073 found that the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist attack,” Al Shamsi said.

BREAKING:

The Omani co-pilot who stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar and tried to crash Flydubai Flight FZ1073 on its way to Tel Aviv has been identified as Hamam Al Hamami.

Netanyahu stated today that it’s becoming increasingly clear after the first interrogations that the attacker… pic.twitter.com/qXBS64D7W8

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 3, 2026

The aircraft operating flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, about one week before the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, plunged 18,000 feet during the attack as passengers and crew subdued the attacker.

Between 05:22:07 and 05:22:36 flight #FZ1073 dropped from 30,875 feet to 16,750 feet (-14,125 feet in just 29 seconds) pic.twitter.com/hHfnX7cKWI

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) September 30, 2026

🇦🇪🇮🇱🇸🇦🚨 UPDATE: Damage visible on FZ1073 after emergency landing

Images from Tabuk appear to show significant damage to the upper tail of flydubai flight FZ1073 following this morning’s extraordinary incident.

Reuters reports, citing an Israeli official, that a physical… pic.twitter.com/AXKCqt5Qjx

— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) September 30, 2026

The passenger jet, with 174 souls on board, diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing.

Al Shamsi said the investigation is under way “to uncover all the circumstances of the incident, its motives, and related connections, in addition to completing technical examinations and examining physical and digital evidence.”

On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel was investigating whether the co-pilot had acted under anyone’s direction, warning that anyone involved in the terror plot would pay a “heavy price.”

Flydubai halted all flights on the Israel route shortly after the terror plot was foiled, and Israel’s El Al canceled its scheduled flights, stranding some Israelis in the UAE.