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Conflict · Cockpit attackContinuing story · report 3 of 3

Flydubai co-pilot allegedly targeted Ben Gurion terminal. How did he clear checks?

Passengers and crew stopped the cockpit takeover. UAE prosecutors now allege a rehearsed suicide plot against Ben Gurion’s terminal, while screening failures and claimed Australian connections remain unresolved.

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  1. Update 1What forced Flydubai’s safe diversion? Crash-attempt allegations remain unproven
  2. Update 2Flydubai captain recovering as assault inquiry moves to UAE; Iran link unproven
  3. Update 3Flydubai co-pilot allegedly targeted Ben Gurion terminal. How did he clear checks?You are here

What changed since our last report

11 days later

Then

Flydubai captain recovering as assault inquiry moves to UAE; Iran link unproven

What we said was still open

  1. The cockpit sequence, pilots’ medical condition, complete injury count, any arrests and passengers’ onward journey remain unresolved.

    Still open

    Reporting now describes the axe attack and intervention, confirms passengers’ replacement flight, and establishes that both injured pilots transferred to the UAE; the suspect was detained after landing and the captain’s October 8 update showed improvement. The full cockpit sequence, complete injury inventory, suspect’s current medical assessment and exact detention location remain unresolved. 727527118519

Now

Passengers and crew stopped the cockpit takeover. UAE prosecutors now allege a rehearsed suicide plot against Ben Gurion’s terminal, while screening failures and claimed Australian connections remain unresolved.

Wounded with the cockpit’s emergency crash axe, Captain Smit Machchhar unlocked the door. That allowed people outside to enter, tackle the co-pilot attacking him and help stabilise a plunging passenger aircraft. The door opening was the crucial break in an attempted takeover that ended with a safe landing in Saudi Arabia. 7

The intended destination was far more terrible, UAE prosecutors now allege: a suicide crash into Ben Gurion Airport’s passenger terminal, designed to cause the greatest possible loss of life. Their October 9, 2026 announcement identifies a specific target and alleged preparations for the September 30 attack aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073. The aircraft never reached that alleged target. 19

The distinction matters. The cockpit assault, intervention and diversion have a substantial public reporting record. The claimed terminal plot, motive and confession come from the prosecution investigation, not a criminal judgment. No public formal charges, indictment, trial date or verdict had been verified through October 13.

On September 30, HeyDay News reported the safe landing at Tabuk while crash-attempt allegations remained unproven. On October 2, we reported the preliminary finding that the co-pilot assaulted Machchhar, both injured pilots’ transfer to the UAE and the captain’s reported recovery. What changed afterward was the investigation’s account: an October 3 announcement classified the attack as an attempted terrorist act; the October 9 update added the passenger-terminal target, alleged preparations and reported confession. These are successive announcements about one flight, not new emergencies. 269 19

The accused is a 29-year-old Omani co-pilot identified in reporting as Hamam al-Hammami, also written Hammam al-Hammami. An authoritative public legal-name spelling has not been established; the recovered official statements identify him by role and nationality. Machchhar, the Indian captain he attacked, is not the accused. FZ1073 was a Boeing 737 MAX 8, registration A6-FKF, flying from Dubai to Ben Gurion near Tel Aviv. 10 19 216

Prosecutors say the suspect used two earlier Dubai–Tel Aviv flights to familiarise himself with the route and airport, then attempted the plot on the third. They allege inspiration from the September 11 attacks and describe viewing terrorism-promoting material and taking boxing lessons as preparation, without explaining how each activity contributed. They say he confessed with his lawyer present and claimed to have acted alone. Investigators are still checking for assistance or facilitation: a reported lone-actor confession is not a completed finding that nobody helped. 19

The plunge and the safe landing

The attack occurred in Saudi airspace. The prosecution identifies the cockpit crash axe as the weapon used to wound Machchhar and attempt to seize the controls. Passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot after the captain opened the door; other pilots travelling aboard helped secure and land the aircraft. The public accounts do not establish who made every control input. Earlier descriptions of a stabbing do not establish that an additional weapon was found. 19 7 234

The altitude loss was severe, but precision requires separating measurements. Reuters’ October 9 account described nearly 5,000 metres in 30 seconds. Flightradar24 identifies a specific interval, 05:22:07–05:22:36 UTC, in which altitude fell from 30,875 to 16,750 feet: 14,125 feet in 29 seconds, approximately 4,305 metres. These are not identical figures and should not become one exact measurement. Tracking observations are also not a completed flight-recorder analysis of the descent or control sequence. 1 223

Saudi authorities give the landing time as 09:45 local on September 30 at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk. They say all passengers continued their journey aboard a replacement Flydubai aircraft at 17:40 that afternoon. Other flight crew returned to Dubai separately, except the captain and first officer, who were receiving hospital treatment. Onward travel happened; it was not merely promised. 275

Even the number aboard remains unreconciled. The Saudi account gives 174 passengers and eight crew members. Flydubai chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith’s October 2 statement instead described “all 172 passengers and crew on board” as safe. No final public manifest resolves that difference. All passengers were reported accounted for and safe, with no passenger deaths or injuries established in the reporting reviewed. Both pilots were injured, so passenger safety does not mean nobody was hurt. 275 110

Both pilots received medical clearance and transferred to Abu Dhabi with an Emirati security team on October 1. Machchhar suffered serious head injuries, including a reported depressed skull fracture, and received emergency surgery in Tabuk. India’s October 8 update described him as recovering well after surgery in Abu Dhabi and responding positively. There is no established operation count, complete injury inventory or recovery deadline, and improvement is not discharge or fitness to fly. 271 286 185

On October 8, President Isaac Herzog presented civilian heroism awards to six Israeli passengers: Tali Manes, Zvika Manes, Yaniv Hayoun, Dr. Shota Musayev, Asaf Rajuan and Or Pardilov. Machchhar is also to receive the award after recovery; his presentation remains pending. 301 306

What the hiring checks missed

The security question is not simply whether Flydubai checked the co-pilot. Prosecutors say it did: he held a pilot’s licence, supplied a good-conduct certificate and completed the required professional and security checks when recruited in January 2026. Their wording is narrower than a claim that no warning signs ever existed. 19

none of the procedures revealed any indications of his extremist views or his intention to carry out a terrorist plot

Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, UAE Attorney-General 19

That statement concerns what recruitment procedures disclosed. It does not erase the same investigation’s retrospective allegation that signs of extremism appeared in Australia in 2017. Nor does it resolve reports that Oman Air previously removed him from flying or training over extremist-material concerns and moved him into administrative duties. The restrictions, notification record and information Flydubai received have not been publicly established. An earlier warning and a failure to share it are separate propositions; neither can be proved merely by a clean hiring check. 19 53 294

The employment history itself needs correction. Prosecutors place him at Oman Air from 2020 to 2024, then working for Royal Air Maroc for several months in early 2025. Royal Air Maroc says he completed three months of theoretical training during recruitment in 2025 but was not hired. That contradicts an unqualified employment claim. Other reported profile dates remain unreconciled; theoretical training does not establish commercial flying for the airline. 19 292

Australian connections are not Australian findings

RMIT confirmed engineering enrolment and that al-Hammami did not complete an engineering qualification. Other institutional accounts establish New Zealand flight-training study and a 2023 distance-learning aviation-management graduation from Buckinghamshire New University. These are education records, not confirmation of radicalisation. Australian counterterrorism authorities are investigating his connections; an inquiry is not a completed Australian finding about where extremism began. 331 295 3

The UAE account alleges extremist literature and online material glorifying terrorism and suicide attacks, visits to an RMIT-associated mosque, and acquaintance with people associated with MyCentre in Broadmeadows. It does not establish that RMIT operated that mosque or that the suspect attended MyCentre. Neither the centre nor its leader, Samir Mohtadi, also known as Abu Hamza, is accused of wrongdoing in the supplied account. 19 2

Mohtadi rejected the association on October 12: “I have never met al-Hammami, who has been referred to in recent media reports, and we have no record of him ever attending our centre.” That denial matters, though it does not independently settle acquaintance with other associated individuals. Prosecutors have not named those people or explained the contacts. Guilt by association is no substitute for that missing evidence. 48 49 19

Political scrutiny has also reached the centre’s community-language grant: an initial A$36,960 approved in March 2024, later increased by A$31,176.20 to A$68,136.20, with the term extended to December 2028. The award value is not verified disbursement or misuse. No established evidence connects the language funding to the cockpit attack. 137 64

Flydubai’s Tel Aviv suspension has meanwhile been reported extended through October 31, superseding an earlier endpoint around October 14. No resumption is verified, and month-end is not a guaranteed restart. The immediate emergency ended safely. The unanswered security question remains how alleged earlier concerns failed to stop the suspect reaching a working cockpit—and which institution knew enough to act. 323

As aired 37 lines
  1. On September 30, we reported Flydubai's safe landing. Prosecutors now allege an airport-terminal suicide plot. More than 170 people escaped the flight emergency, and the alleged target included people inside the terminal.
  2. How did a co-pilot accused of planning this attack clear airline security checks?
  3. UAE prosecutors say the co-pilot intended to crash into Ben Gurion Airport's passenger terminal, causing the greatest possible loss of life. The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv aircraft instead landed safely at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after passengers and crew stopped the takeover.
  4. The aircraft never reached the alleged target. Flight FZ1073 was a Boeing 737 MAX 8, flying on September 30, 2026. The accused co-pilot is identified as Hamam al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national.
  5. The prosecution's October 9 announcement added the specific target and alleged preparations. Its October 3 announcement had already described an attempted terrorist act. The flight emergency and those investigation announcements happened on different days.
  6. Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi says the suspect studied the route and airport on two earlier Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flights. Prosecutors say he tried to execute the plan on the third flight, drawing inspiration from the September 11 attacks.
  7. The prosecution also describes viewing material promoting terrorism and taking boxing lessons as preparation. It hasn't explained how each activity contributed to the attack.
  8. Prosecutors say the suspect confessed with his lawyer present and said he acted alone. They're still checking whether anybody assisted or facilitated the plot. The alleged planning and motive have yet to be tested in court.
  9. Captain Smit Machchhar resisted despite serious injuries. In Saudi airspace, the co-pilot attacked him with the cockpit emergency crash axe and tried to seize the controls. The wounded captain unlocked the cockpit door, allowing others to intervene.
  10. Passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot, and people entering the cockpit helped stabilise the aircraft. Other pilots travelling aboard helped secure and land it. Investigators haven't published a complete reconstruction showing who made each control input. Earlier descriptions used the word stabbing. The more specific investigation identifies the crash axe.
  11. The aircraft lost 14,125 feet in one tracked interval lasting 29 seconds. It fell from 30,875 feet to 16,750 feet. That's approximately 4,305 metres during that specific interval.
  12. The earlier approximate account put the descent at nearly 5,000 metres in 30 seconds. The specified tracking interval gives approximately 4,305 metres in 29 seconds. Those figures shouldn't become one exact measurement.
  13. Broader reconstructions describe a descent from around 34,000 feet, with recovery near 15,000 feet. Tracking analyses recorded vertical rates near a display limit of about 32,600 feet a minute. They also recorded ground speed peaking near 598 knots. Flight-recorder analysis is needed to determine the full descent and control sequence.
  14. The aircraft transmitted a general emergency alert, then an unlawful-interference alert. Ground-based tracking later ended, while satellite observations continued. The final satellite signal came from Tabuk. A tracking signal doesn't identify the moment the wheels touched down.
  15. Saudi authorities give the landing time as 9:45 that morning at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport. All passengers were accounted for and safe. Both pilots were injured and taken to hospital in Tabuk.
  16. Saudi authorities say there were 174 passengers and eight crew members. Flydubai chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith instead described 172 passengers and crew. No final public manifest has reconciled those totals. Most passengers were Israeli.
  17. Saudi authorities say all passengers continued their journey on a replacement Flydubai aircraft that afternoon and reached Ben Gurion that evening. Other crew returned to Dubai separately. The captain and first officer stayed behind for hospital treatment.
  18. Both injured pilots received medical clearance and transferred to Abu Dhabi on October 1 with an Emirati security team. Machchhar had serious head injuries, including a reportedly depressed skull fracture, and received emergency skull treatment and surgery in Tabuk.
  19. India's October 8 medical update says he's recovering well after surgery in Abu Dhabi and responding positively. He remains under medical care. His doctors haven't announced a recovery deadline.
  20. President Isaac Herzog presented civilian heroism awards to six Israeli passengers on October 8. They were Tali Manes, Zvika Manes, Yaniv Hayoun, Doctor Shota Musayev, Asaf Rajuan and Or Pardilov. Machchhar will receive his award after recovery.
  21. The accused co-pilot was detained after the Saudi landing and is now under UAE prosecution investigation. The UAE has jurisdiction because the aircraft is registered there and flies its flag.
  22. Flydubai hired him in January 2026. Al Shamsi says he held a pilot's licence, provided a good-conduct certificate and passed the required professional and security checks. Those procedures uncovered no indications of extremist views or terrorist intent.
  23. The same investigation alleges signs of extremism appeared years earlier. Passing those hiring checks therefore leaves the warning question open. The complete screening records and information exchanged between institutions haven't been made public.
  24. Royal Air Maroc says he completed three months of theoretical training during recruitment in 2025 but wasn't hired. That contradicts the prosecution's description of several months working there. Prosecutors place his earlier Oman Air employment between 2020 and 2024.
  25. His subsequently deleted professional profile described a longer Oman Air association ending in February 2025. It also listed Royal Air Maroc from June 2025 to January 2026. Those dates remain unreconciled with the prosecution account and the airline's clarification.
  26. Oman Air reportedly removed him from flying or training over extremist-material concerns and moved him into administrative work. Oman hasn't explained precisely what restrictions it imposed, what warnings it shared, or what Flydubai received.
  27. The broader allegation of an Omani-airline flying ban and a failure to notify the UAE also remains unresolved. The fact that recruitment checks found no problem doesn't show what another institution knew.
  28. RMIT confirmed that he studied engineering in Melbourne, around 2015 to 2017, and didn't complete the qualification. UAE prosecutors allege his drift toward extremism began in Australia in 2017, involving extremist literature and online material glorifying terrorism and suicide attacks.
  29. New Zealand authorities confirmed a six-month student visa, from November 2018 to May 2019, for flight training through a UK-based provider. Buckinghamshire New University confirmed a distance-learning aviation-management graduation in 2023. Australian counterterrorism investigators are examining his Australian connections.
  30. Prosecutors describe visits to an RMIT-associated mosque and acquaintance with people associated with MyCentre in Broadmeadows. They say the suspect described the centre as managed by Abu Hamza and alleged support from an association linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.
  31. MyCentre's leader, Samir Mohtadi, is also known as Abu Hamza. He publicly rejected the association on October 12. The prosecution account makes no allegation of wrongdoing against him or the centre.
  32. Mohtadi says he's never met al-Hammami and the centre has no record of his attendance. He calls attempts to connect them unfounded and misleading, says he has consistently preached peace, and rejects violence in all its forms.
  33. The alleged acquaintance involves other people associated with MyCentre. Prosecutors haven't named them or explained what those contacts involved. RMIT's confirmation of enrolment supplies no finding about those contacts or the alleged radicalisation.
  34. Home Affairs approved 36,960 Australian dollars for the centre's language program in March 2024. A later increase of 31,176 dollars and 20 cents brought the award to 68,136 dollars and 20 cents.
  35. The grant term began in June 2024 and now extends to December 2028. Politicians are questioning the funding. Nobody has produced evidence that the grant funded the attack, and there's no finding of misuse. The award value describes authorised funding.
  36. As of October 13, prosecutors haven't announced formal charges or a trial date. The airport-terminal plan and confession remain prosecution allegations. Investigators are still examining assistance, while the earlier-warning and information-sharing questions remain unanswered.
  37. Flydubai suspended Tel Aviv services at authorities' request after the attack. The reported endpoint moved from around October 14 to October 31. The airline hasn't confirmed a restart immediately afterward.

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