UAE prosecutors confirmed on Saturday that flydubai co‑pilot Hamam Alhammami used the aircraft’s crash axe to strike Captain Smit Machchhar during a Dubai‑Tel Aviv flight, forcing the 737 to descend from 34,000 to 15,600 feet before a crew‑led intervention.
Alhammami, who had been barred from flying in Oman after authorities found extremist material in February 2025, joined flydubai in June 2025 and worked the sensitive route for eight months before the incident. He had previously trained as a co‑pilot for Oman Air in 2024 and had a brief stint at Royal Air Maroc.
Captain Machchhar, wounded but alive, unlocked the cockpit door, allowing relief pilots and passengers to restrain Alhammami; a dentist on board administered first aid before the aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
The investigation seeks to determine whether Alhammami acted alone or with extremist support. UAE aviation authorities have announced an internal review of hiring procedures and are coordinating with international partners to scrutinise security protocols.
The incident underscores the heightened risk on the Dubai‑Tel Aviv corridor, prompting the UAE Ministry of Civil Aviation to call for stricter vetting of crew members on flights to Israel.