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UAE Prosecutes Axe Attack on Flydubai Flight Near Ben Gurion

By Drooid · Oct 12, 2026, 10:02 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Omani Co-pilot Attempts Crash

UAE says Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami tried to crash a Flydubai jet into Ben Gurion Airport.
The 29-year-old struck Captain Smit Machchhar with an axe on September 30.
Passengers and crew subdued the attacker after the plane dropped about 15,000 feet in seconds.
Two reserve pilots took over and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
Prosecutors said the plot was inspired by the September 11 attacks and aimed for mass casualties.

Summary

Flydubai Suspends Flights

Hundreds of passengers filed a class-action suit seeking hundreds of millions from Flydubai and Israeli and UAE transport ministries.
Flydubai suspended all flights to Tel Aviv pending a safety review after the September 30 incident.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a review of foreign airlines operating to Israel following the attack.
UAE prosecutors said the suspect could face the death penalty, the harshest possible sanction.

History

Historical Context

The 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, killed 270 passengers and crew, prompting worldwide aviation security reforms. British authorities, the United Nations and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation jointly investigated, securing a $2.5 billion settlement with Libya in 2003. Today's Flydubai incident mirrors that tragedy, as a rogue co-pilot used an axe to plunge a commercial jet, echoing Lockerbie’s violent disruption of civil aviation. The legacy of Lockerbie drives stricter airline vetting, international legal cooperation, and potential death-penalty prosecutions, shaping how governments respond to modern airborne threats.

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Omani Co-pilot Attempts Crash

UAE says Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami tried to crash a Flydubai jet into Ben Gurion Airport.
The 29-year-old struck Captain Smit Machchhar with an axe on September 30.
Passengers and crew subdued the attacker after the plane dropped about 15,000 feet in seconds.
Two reserve pilots took over and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
Prosecutors said the plot was inspired by the September 11 attacks and aimed for mass casualties.

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