UAE Prosecutor General: Flydubai Co-Pilot Planned Terrorist Attack
The UAE prosecution has concluded that the co-pilot of a Flydubai flight attacked the captain on September 30, attempting to seize control of the aircraft in what was described as a planned terrorist act. The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The United Arab Emirates prosecution has completed an initial stage of its investigation into an incident aboard a Flydubai aircraft flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. Investigators concluded that the co-pilot attacked the captain in the cockpit with an emergency axe in an attempt to seize control of the plane.
UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al-Shamsi stated that the attack was intended as an act of terrorism. German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported the statement, citing the UAE state news agency WAM.
Suspect's background
According to US network ABC News, citing senior intelligence and law enforcement officials, the co-pilot of flight FZ1073 had previously been dismissed from Omani carrier Oman Air over security concerns. ABC News reported that during a 2024 internship as a co-pilot at the airline, extremist materials were found in his possession.
The network named the suspect: according to sources familiar with the investigation, he is 29-year-old Omani national Hamam Al-Hammami, who after being grounded was permitted to continue working at Oman Air in an administrative role.
The incident in the air
The Flydubai passenger plane, flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia after a hijacking alert was raised. The emergency was triggered by a fight in the cockpit, during which the aircraft sharply lost altitude. There were 174 people on board, most of them Israeli citizens.
According to some passengers, screaming was first heard from the cockpit, after which the cockpit door swung open and passengers saw that one pilot was injured, his clothing covered in blood. Crew members and passengers managed to subdue the attacker. The landing in Saudi Arabia, which averted a plane crash, was carried out by two other pilots who happened to be on board as passengers.
