In a drama that rattled the skies, Hamam al‑Hammami, a 29‑year‑old Omani first officer, used an axe to attack the captain on flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026.
Al‑Hammami, born in 1996 or 1997 in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother, earned his wings at Omani Aviation in 2018, and later joined Royal Air Maroc in 2025 before landing at flydubai in January 2026.
Security sources say Omani authorities had barred him from flying in 2024 after finding extremist material in his possession, yet the airline cleared him to resume flight duties in 2025.
During the flight, al‑Hammami seized the cockpit and attempted to seize control, but passengers and the second pilot intervened before the aircraft diverted to Tabuk for an emergency landing.
UAE civil aviation authorities have opened a criminal investigation, and al‑Hammami faces charges of terrorism and assault; the case will be heard in a federal court, with extradition talks underway with Israel and Saudi Arabia.