Investigators believe flydubai co-pilot had planned attack since July

Regional and Israeli officials believe that 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, who attempted to seize control of flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv last Wednesday, had originally planned his attack for July before postponing it — possibly because a friend was part of the crew.

Experts believe Hammami may have deliberately sought work with an airline flying to Israel in order to carry out his plan. Police and security agencies in at least six countries are now working to piece together his background and motives, and to determine whether he acted alone.

The attack in the air

About two hours and 20 minutes after takeoff, Hammami allegedly used an emergency crash axe stored in the cockpit to attack Captain Smit Machchhar. The flight carried more than 180 passengers and crew, almost all Israeli. Machchhar said he realized he was being attacked by his co-pilot, not an aircraft malfunction, after feeling repeated blows to the back of his head. Despite his injuries, he managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers to overpower the attacker. A reserve flydubai pilot who was travelling as a passenger took control and landed the plane at a regional airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, where Hammami was detained.

Israeli media, citing his statements to interrogators, reported that Hammami had planned to crash the plane into Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv or another high-profile nearby target.

Employment history and warning signs

Hammami, whose father is Omani and mother Syrian, worked for Oman Air from 2018 until June 2025, leaving after being moved to a desk job amid concerns over extremist views. He was subsequently hired by Royal Air Maroc but never obtained flying clearance and left. He was then hired by flydubai, which has been expanding rapidly. The airline checked his criminal record but not for signs of radicalization.

Nine hours after the attack, a post appeared under Hammami's name praising former al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. An analysis by the firm Accountability!, which reviewed nearly 3,000 of his posts, found a pattern of misogynistic and homophobic language, including explicit threats of violence against women.

Netanyahu has said Hammami underwent "radical Islamist indoctrination." Opposition politicians have criticized the government over security failures, with the incident occurring ahead of the anniversary of the October 7 attack and amid a contested general election.