Full Breakdown
Flydubai Flight FZ1073 Attack Raises Questions Over Israel’s Aviation-Security Oversight
By Drooid · · How we work
The Incident
On September 30, 2026 a flydubai Boeing 737 operating Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted after co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly stabbed captain Smit Machchhar and tried to seize control. Passengers helped the wounded captain open the reinforced cockpit door, restrained the attacker, and the aircraft landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Reports differ on the number aboard: 182 passengers and crew according to one source, 174 according to another.
Background & Context
Israel’s aviation-security framework assigns intelligence duties to the Shin Bet for Israeli-operated flights and to Mossad for foreign carriers. In 2021 the Shin Bet withdrew from foreign-flight security, shifting oversight to the Transportation Ministry’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). A classified 2024 state-comptroller report found the ministry failing to meet its obligations, prompting the security cabinet on May 23, 2024 to order a 90-day review by the National Security Council (NSC) with representatives from the Transportation Ministry, CAA, Shin Bet, Mossad and the Finance Ministry. The ministry assumed full security responsibility for foreign flights in 2025 under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Data & Statistics
- Flight FZ1073 carried either 182 or 174 passengers.
- The Transportation Ministry’s Security Division employs three civil servants; the rest are contractors.
- In 2020 flydubai pledged to restrict crew scheduling to comply with Israeli nationality rules (Ynet).
Official Statements & Responses
Transportation Minister Miri Regev said aviation security is “a very complex issue” and noted that the crew list was not provided to the ministry; clearance came from Mossad.
CAA head Shmuel Zakai stated the airline knew it was not permitted to operate the aircraft with a pilot holding an Omani passport barred from entering Israel and announced that flydubai halted flights to Israel “until the investigation is completed.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Passenger count: 182 vs 174.
- Vetting responsibility: The ministry claims “on paper” authority but says it does not conduct intelligence checks; Mossad and Shin Bet each assert jurisdiction over foreign and Israeli flights respectively.
- Pilot background: Al-Hammami had previously been barred from flying in Oman for alleged extremist views, yet no record of that restriction was shared with Israeli authorities. How he passed UAE and airline security checks remains unverified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The airline knows that it was not permitted to operate this aircraft with a pilot holding an Omani passport who is barred from entering Israel,” — Shmuel Zakai
- “There is a direct line connecting the plane failure to the October 7 massacre,” — Naftali Bennett
- “This failure has a name: Miri Regev.” — Keren Turner-Eyal
