Key Points

THE FLYDUBAI CO-PILOT accused of attempting to hijack a flight carrying 174 passengers to Israel by stabbing the lead pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, was described by a colleague as a “religious extremist” who refused to shake hands with women, reported NY Post. Media reports have identified the attacker-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami, whom Israel's defence minister Israel Katz described as carrying out “a jihadist terrorist attack” on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. He was allegedly an Omani national who had been employed with flydubai for less than a year.

The flydubai flight FZ1073 was en-route from Dubai to Tel Aviv when Al-hammami started interfering with the aircraft’s system in order to crash it. The lead pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, thwarted his plans but was stabbed by Al-hammani in return. Eventually, passengers overpowered the Omani pilot and an off-duty pilot present on board safely landed the plane in Saudi Arabia.

See also: Who Is Captain Smit Machchhar? Indian Flydubai Pilot Stabbed in Mid-Air, Foils Co-Pilot's Attempt to Crash Plane, Saves 174 Passengers Bound for Tel Aviv

Omani Pilot’s Colleague Reveal He Refused to Shake Hands With Women

A fellow pilot, who has worked with Al-hammami, told Israel's Channel 16 journalist Yosef Yisrael that the man displayed “very strange behavior, especially around religious observances that were out of step with his surroundings.” The pilot, who spoke to Yosef on the condition of anonymity, further said that the Omani pilot would “pray a lot” and even refused to shake hands with women.

The colleague alleged that flydubai, the sister airline of Emirates, had “betrayed” Israel by employing the pilot, who others have accused of appearing determined to crash the aircraft in what they described as another 9/11. “There is no other way to put it, we hired the services of a terrorist and nearly caused the deaths of 180 people,” the co-worker reportedly told the journalist. “Usually only Emiratis fly to Israel. It is not clear how he got on this flight.”

Al-Hammami allegedly stabbed Captain Machchhar and attempted to interfere with the aircraft's controls during the flydubai flight, in what Israeli officials have characterized as an attempt to crash the plane. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization,” though he has not publicly provided evidence to support the claim, and the incident remains under investigation.

Omani Pilot Was Banned From Flying Over “Extremist Views”

Al-Hammami had previously been prohibited from flying in his native country by Oman Air over concerns that he had adopted extremist views, reported The Wall Street Journal.

According to a person familiar with the matter, the co-pilot was later employed by the UAE-based airline. Speaking anonymously due to the ongoing investigation, the source said it was not immediately known how extensively he was vetted when he was hired by Flydubai.

Flydubai Suspends Israel Flights, Security Checks Tightened 

Questions have since emerged over how the Omani national was able to operate the flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, which was ultimately diverted and landed in Saudi Arabia by two off-duty pilots.

See also: 40 Years Before Captain Smit Machchhar’s Bravery, One Flight Attendant Died Saving More Than 300 Passengers During 1986 Pan Am Hijacking—She Was Neerja Bhanot

Pilots flying to Israel are required to hold passports from countries that maintain diplomatic relations with the country. Oman and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations.

Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev called on the country's Civil Aviation Authority to examine whether the United Arab Emirates had violated its aviation agreement with Israel, The Times of Israel reported on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, hours after the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia with the help of two relief pilots.

“This is a clear breach of the agreement,” a Transportation Ministry official told the Jerusalem Post, while also calling for Israel’s Security Agency to investigate the matter.

Flydubai has temporarily suspended its flights to and from Israel, while Israeli authorities have increased security checks for pilots operating flights into the country.

“Every pilot that is going to be flying into Israel, we are going to know the pilots’ identities, know who they are, and do some type of security check,” Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for Benjamin Netanyahu's office, said.

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