Flydubai Pilot Suspected of Extremist Plot, Hijack Busted in Saudi Landing

Sat Oct 10 2026 09:33:43 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A co‑pilot on a Dubai‑to‑Tel‑Aviv flight tried a suicide attack after years of radicalisation in Australia. UAE officials say he was stopped by passengers and diverted to Saudi Arabia.

A 29‑year‑old Omani co‑pilot on a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv attempted to crash the aircraft into the Israeli airport, striking the captain with an axe. According to UAE Attorney‑General Hamad Saif al‑Shamsi, the attacker had a five‑year drift toward extremism while studying in Australia and was influenced by al‑Qaeda propaganda. Passengers overpowered him, enabling an Indian co‑pilot to unlock the cockpit and guide the jet to a safe landing in Saudi Arabia. Investigations are underway in Australia, with Australian security agencies probing the pilot’s links to the country. The incident highlights gaps in aviation vetting, as the pilot was cleared by Flydubai after passing routine security checks but had a history of extremist views on hold by Oman Air.

Flydubai Pilot Suspected of Extremist Plot, Hijack Busted in Saudi Landing

A co‑pilot on a Dubai‑to‑Tel Aviv flight was arrested after attempting to steer the aircraft into the Israeli capital. The 29‑year‑old Omani passenger, known as Hamam al‑Hammami, allegedly wielded an emergency crash axe, wounded the captain and then was overpowered by passengers. The incident forced the flight, numbered FZ1073, to divert to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

UAE Attorney‑General Hamad Saif al‑Shamsi said the attacker had been “drifting toward extremism” since 2017 while studying engineering at RMIT in Melbourne. Interviews revealed that he had consumed extremist literature and tracked online content praising terrorist attacks, ultimately planning to crash the plane into Tel Aviv’s airport in a suicide attack reminiscent of the 2001 9/11 attacks.

Oman’s national carrier, Oman Air, had barred al‑Hammami from flying after discovering his extremist views. He later joined Flydubai, where standard security checks cleared him, though no special vetting for radicalisation was conducted. Israeli aviation rules state that pilots from countries without diplomatic ties to Israel, such as Oman, should not be authorised to fly to Tel Aviv.

Australia is probing the former passenger’s links to the country. The Victorian Joint Counter‑Terrorism Team, comprising the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and ASIO, has opened an enquiry into his background and whether Australian authorities were aware of his radicalisation.

The incident has prompted calls for stricter vetting of airline employees. Aviation regulators are reviewing clearance procedures to ensure that individuals with extremist histories are identified before they can serve on passenger flights, especially those destined for sensitive regions.