Flying ban in Oman, spent time in Syria, held ‘radical views’: What we know about flydubai co-pilot
Two days after the Flydubai incident jolted the aviation world, there is still no official word on who was the attacker and what led to the mid-air emergency on a Tel Aviv-bound flight. While a regional investigation is underway, reports have now raised fresh questions about the Omani co-pilot, including his alleged past links to Syria and concerns over extremist views.
Passengers aboard the flydubai flight after arriving at the Ben Gurion International Airport, in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel, September 30, 2026. (AP, Reuters)While Saudi's Al Arabiya identified the co-pilot as Hamam Al-Hammami, there is no official confirmation on the name yet. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has maintained radio silence on his identity, and the details about the co-pilot have not been independently verified by HT.
Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was flying from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv with 180 people on board. About two hours into the flight, while the aircraft was flying over Saudi Arabia at an altitude of around 33,000 to 34,000 feet, the co-pilot attacked and stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar.
Despite suffering serious injuries, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door. Passengers and crew members then entered the cockpit and helped restrain the co-pilot.
The aircraft was subsequently diverted and made an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia.
All passengers and crew survived the incident.
Machchhar has since received praise from leaders in India and Israel for his actions during the incident.
Priyanshu Priya is a journalist with nearly three years of newsroom experience, driven by a deep belief that stories, when told right, can shape conversations and hold power to account. Currently working as a Senior Content Producer with Hindustan Times, she writes on a wide spectrum of issues, from Indian politics and Delhi’s public concerns to global trade tensions and high-stakes crime stories. Priya joined HT at a pivotal moment, as Operation Sindoor was unfolding, and has since covered some of the most defining developments in recent times. Her reporting spans the Air India plane crash and the Pahalgam terror attack to India–US trade tensions, unrest in the Middle East, and key Assembly elections across states. She thrives in the fast-paced world of breaking news. In 2025–26, she was recognised with the Hindustan Times Digi Journo of the Q3 Award for driving over 4 million page views in a single month. A postgraduate in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and a Mass Communication graduate from Patna Women’s College, Priya began her news career with the Zee News English team, where she extensively covered the Lok Sabha Election 2024, along with the Delhi and Maharashtra Assembly elections. When she’s not tracking or writing the next big development, she unwinds by watching series and films, reading books with strong female protagonists, and revisiting comfort shows for the familiar ease they bring when life feels a little too jittery.Read More
