Flydubai suspends Israel flights after thwarted cockpit attack plot

Low-cost carrier Flydubai has halted service to and from Israel in the wake of the failed terror plot by one of the company’s copilots.

The security crisis erupted aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 while carrying 174 people to Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday. According to United Arab Emirates prosecutors, the Omani co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, 29, attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar with a cockpit crash axe. The attacker allegedly planned to execute a suicide attack targeting the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, — or alternatively a tower block in the city — to cause a 9/11-type disaster, according to investigators.

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As the struggle unfolded while cruising at high altitude, the aircraft plummeted 17,000 feet in just two minutes in a series of dramatic descents as the struggle unfolded inside the cockpit. Despite suffering serious injuries, Machchhar reportedly managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing crew members and passengers to rush in and overpower the attacker. Two other qualified pilots traveling on board then took control, stabilized the jet and diverted it to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where they made a safe emergency landing.

Following the emergency landing, Saudi authorities transferred the suspect into the custody of the United Arab Emirates. Dr Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, attorney-general of the UAE, stated that al-Hammami, who is in Emirate custody, had admitted he had tried to execute a “premeditated terrorist plot to … launch a suicide attack targeting the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, with the aim of causing the greatest possible loss of life”. Additional investigations span Australia, where the suspect previously resided, and New Zealand, where he underwent subsequent flight training.

Aviation and security authorities are currently examining how al-Hammami successfully cleared standard vetting procedures despite previous employment history involving radical views. An Omani national, he earned a distance-learning aviation management degree from Buckinghamshire New University in 2023 and was employed by Oman Air from 2020-24, joined Royal Air Maroc in early 2025 and worked there for several months before moving to flydubai in January 2026. In response to these vulnerabilities, Israel's National Security Council and police forces are investigating failures in security procedures for foreign airlines after the Sept. 30 FlyDubai incident, in which an Omani copilot is suspected of attempting to crash a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight carrying 174 passengers. According to Al Monitor, an Israeli team comprising representatives of the Mossad and Shin Bet traveled to the UAE to take part in the investigation.

Political leaders have expressed profound relief and praised the crew's valor. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded the passengers and the flight deck crew during media appearances, noting that a catastrophe comparable to historical aviation disasters was averted solely through last-minute intervention. Concurrently, Flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith expressed relief that everyone on board survived and praised the efforts of those who prevented a catastrophe.

As Culture observers and regional analysts monitor broader geopolitical repercussions, attention turns toward regulatory enforcement and permanent policy adjustments regarding pilot credential verification. Regulators in the Middle East and international aviation bodies are expected to release updated directives concerning cross-border employee data sharing to prevent individuals dismissed for radicalism from securing flight deck positions with other carriers. Further updates regarding flight resumptions and investigative findings will be communicated through official airline channels as proceedings advance.