Story perspectives

Co-pilot axe attack forces flydubai flight diversion to Saudi Arabia

By Drooid · Oct 7, 2026, 2:01 PM UTC · How we work

Center

Aviation Visa Proposal

A co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe on flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on 30 September 2026, diverting to Saudi Arabia.
U.S. officials are reviewing Israel’s Visa Waiver Program compliance and will send a delegation to assess security after the attack.
Minister Miri Regev proposed an “aviation visa” needing 48-hour crew approval, which officials deem unlikely.
Flydubai’s request to resume flights to Israel was rejected by Minister Regev.

Left

Cockpit Door Intervention

A co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe on flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on 30 September 2026, forcing a landing in Saudi Arabia.
The attacker, Omani national Hammam al-Hammami, had been barred by Omani authorities for extremist concerns and previously held an Australian student visa, sparking multinational investigations.
Flydubai halted Dubai-Tel Aviv flights pending investigation.
Captain Smit Machchhar opened the cockpit door, letting passengers subdue attacker.

Blindspot

Omani national Hammam al-Hammami, who had been barred from flying by Omani authorities over extremist concerns and previously held an Australian student visa, was the co-pilot who attacked the captain with a crash axe.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

On April 7 1994, FedEx Flight 705’s disgruntled employee Auburn Calloway attempted to murder the cockpit crew, forcing a violent emergency landing. The incident involved four crew members, a DC-10 aircraft, and resulted in $2.5 million of cargo being saved despite severe injuries. Similarly, on September 30 2026, Omani national Hammam al-Hammami, a co-pilot for Flydubai, assaulted Captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe, prompting a diversion to Saudi Arabia. Both cases spurred aviation authorities—including the FAA and Israel’s Civil Aviation Administration—to tighten crew screening, reinforcing global security protocols for commercial flights.

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Aviation Visa Proposal

A co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe on flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on 30 September 2026, diverting to Saudi Arabia.
U.S. officials are reviewing Israel’s Visa Waiver Program compliance and will send a delegation to assess security after the attack.
Minister Miri Regev proposed an “aviation visa” needing 48-hour crew approval, which officials deem unlikely.
Flydubai’s request to resume flights to Israel was rejected by Minister Regev.

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