Full Breakdown
Flydubai Flight FZ1073: Axe Attack, Subdual and Industry-Wide Fallout
By Drooid · · How we work
The Attack on September 30 2025
On September 30 2025 a Flydubai Boeing 737 operating flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was hijacked in the cockpit. Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, 29, struck Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian-born pilot, with an emergency axe, delivering repeated blows to the back of Machchhar’s head and to his hand as he tried to shield himself. The captain’s vision narrowed to a few inches, and he lost consciousness several times while struggling to open the cockpit door.
A second pilot travelling as a passenger, together with another crew member and several Israeli passengers, entered the cockpit after the door opened, subdued al-Hammami and regained control. The aircraft descended thousands of feet before stabilising and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All passengers and crew survived.
Background & Context
The incident follows a pattern of “insider” threats in aviation, where a crew member attempts to use the aircraft as a weapon. Emirati prosecutors say al-Hammami was motivated by the September 11 attacks and intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport’s terminal. Prior to joining Flydubai, al-Hammami had been removed from flying duties at Oman Air after extremist material was discovered, yet he passed Flydubai’s security vetting.
Timeline
- September 30 2025 – Axe attack; aircraft lands in Tabuk.
- 3 October – UAE detains two Maldivian co-pilots linked to Flydubai.
- 8 October – Families of the detained pilots are notified by the Maldivian embassy.
- April 15 2025 – Maldives bans entry for Israeli passport holders.
Data & Statistics
- Flight number: FZ1073.
- Aircraft: Boeing 737.
- Altitude loss: “thousands of feet” before recovery.
- Injuries: Captain Machchhar sustained a head wound and a hand injury; both were bandaged.
- Age of attacker: 29.
Official Statements & Responses
- Flydubai reported that it dismissed several employees after an internal investigation, though it did not confirm a link to the detained Maldivian pilots.
- Israeli security officials announced stricter enforcement of crew-member nationality rules for flights to Israel.
- United Airlines announced the temporary grounding of Captain Ibrahim R. Mossallam pending a review, citing unrelated social-media posts.
Criticism & Opposition
- Brig. Gen. Dr. Mena Bacharach proposes cockpit cameras that activate only after a distress signal, arguing they would give ground controllers real-time situational awareness.
On-the-Ground Reports
Captain Machchhar described his experience from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, recalling repeated attempts to reach the door, hearing the engines slow, and feeling the aircraft dive.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Machchhar said he had “little recollection” of Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayun’s role, while other media highlighted Hayun as a key figure in subduing the attacker.
- The exact words al-Hammami uttered while striking Machchhar remain unknown; the captain reported hearing speech but could not understand it.
What’s Next
UAE authorities continue their criminal investigation, and Flydubai has pledged to review its recruitment procedures. Aviation security experts are expected to submit formal recommendations on cockpit-camera systems to the International Civil Aviation Organization later this year. Regulatory bodies worldwide are monitoring the case as a precedent for tightening pilot-screening standards.
