Story perspectives

Pilot Tried Hijacking Tel Aviv Flight, UAE Says

By Drooid · Oct 10, 2026, 6:20 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Hammami Hijack Attempt

Attorney General Hamad Al Shamsi said co-pilot Hamam Al Hammami tried hijacking a flight to Tel Aviv.
Hammami struck captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe, forcing the captain to unlock the cockpit door.
After passengers restrained Hammami, a reserve flydubai pilot landed the plane in Tabuk.
Shamsi said Hammami acted alone, but investigations continue.
New Zealand police are probing Hammami’s 175-day student-visa stay from Nov 30 2018 to May 23 2019.

Summary

Flydubai Launches Cadet Program

Hamam al-Hammami told investigators he planned a July hijack targeting Ben-Gurion Airport.
Omani authorities had previously banned al-Hammami from flying because of his radical ideological views.
Flydubai increased staff from 3,682 in 2012 to 6,763 by end-2025.
Flydubai opened a 38,000-square-foot training centre in Dubai and launched a foreign pilot cadet program.
Flydubai lowered required flight hours for junior second-officers and raised salaries for new captains and first officers.

History

Historical Context

The 1976 Entebbe raid, where Israeli commandos rescued 102 hostages after a 53-minute assault that killed all seven hijackers and 45 Ugandan soldiers, set a benchmark for anti-hijack response. Prompted by Idi Amin’s support for the Air France hijackers, it spurred worldwide cockpit-security reforms that shape today’s flydubai pilot-axe incident in 2024.

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Hammami Hijack Attempt

Attorney General Hamad Al Shamsi said co-pilot Hamam Al Hammami tried hijacking a flight to Tel Aviv.
Hammami struck captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe, forcing the captain to unlock the cockpit door.
After passengers restrained Hammami, a reserve flydubai pilot landed the plane in Tabuk.
Shamsi said Hammami acted alone, but investigations continue.
New Zealand police are probing Hammami’s 175-day student-visa stay from Nov 30 2018 to May 23 2019.

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