A 29-year-old Omani national, Hamam al-Hammami, has been identified as the co-pilot accused of attacking and stabbing the captain of a FlyDubai flight bound for Tel Aviv.
According to Fox News, al-Hammami had reportedly been barred from flying with Oman Air in 2024 over concerns about alleged extremist views. He later moved to Dubai and was employed by FlyDubai.
The incident occurred on Flight 1073, when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with the cockpit’s crash axe, reportedly incapacitating him and causing the aircraft to plunge.
Passengers subsequently intervened and helped regain control of the aircraft, which made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia before continuing to Israel.
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates are investigating the incident and are examining whether the suspect acted alone or had links to an extremist group. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the attack as an act of terrorism and alleged that the attacker had undergone Islamic radicalisation. Fox News said the investigation remains ongoing.