Reporting snapshot · 3 October 2026. This account is based on the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general's statement of 3 October and on independent reporting by the BBC, Al Jazeera and Reuters. The investigation is continuing: the UAE has not officially confirmed the suspect's identity, and no motive has been established. Treat this as a dated snapshot, not a live tracker.
What the UAE announced
The prosecutor general of the United Arab Emirates, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said on Saturday, 3 October, that the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 had attempted to carry out a “terrorist act”, according to the Emirati state news agency WAM. It was the first time Emirati authorities had formally described the incident in those terms, Al Jazeera reported.
Al Shamsi said the co-pilot attacked the captain inside the cockpit with a crash axe, a tool kept in the flight deck for emergency escape, and tried to take control of the aircraft. He said investigators were still working to establish “all the circumstances of the incident, its motives, and related connections”, and were examining physical and digital evidence. The findings would be announced once the procedures were complete, he added. The BBC reported that early passenger accounts had suggested the weapon might have been a knife, making the prosecutor general’s identification of a crash axe a notable clarification.
Flydubai said the circumstances were still under investigation and that it was not in a position to comment further. Dubai’s government owns the airline, Reuters noted through The Express Tribune.
What happened on board
Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, 30 September, carrying more than 170 passengers and crew; Al Jazeera put the passenger total at 174. About two and a half hours into the journey, while the aircraft was over Saudi Arabia, it began a steep descent. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 cited by Reuters put the drop at about 16,625 feet (roughly 5,100 metres) in a little over 30 seconds, while the BBC described a plunge of about 17,000 feet (5,200 metres). A passenger told the BBC the aircraft fell “like a rollercoaster” for 20 to 30 seconds. The two figures describe the same event and may be refined as the investigation continues.
The crew signalled a general emergency, code 7700, and then a hijacking or “unlawful interference” code, 7500. The captain, Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was wounded but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to reach the flight deck. Passengers and crew subdued the attacker, and a reserve flydubai pilot travelling on the flight took the controls. The aircraft diverted to Tabuk airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
The people involved
Machchhar was taken to hospital and later airlifted to Abu Dhabi, where he was reported to be in a stable condition and recovering well. India’s government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised what they called his immense courage, and Israeli leaders also described him as a hero. The UAE prosecutor general’s statement did not name the attacker.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacker was an Omani national. Reuters, citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter and a second source briefed on the investigation, identified him as Hamam al-Hammami. Oman has not commented, and UAE authorities did not immediately confirm the name, so the identification should be treated as reported rather than official.
The BBC reported that United States media had said that, while working at Oman Air, al-Hammami was removed from flight training over concerns about his views and given another role at the airline. Buckinghamshire New University in the United Kingdom said he had completed a distance-learning degree in aviation management in 2023 but had not received pilot training there. Neither claim has been confirmed by the UAE-led investigation.
Netanyahu said the attacker had undergone what he called Islamist radical indoctrination and appeared suicidal, and that Israel was examining whether he had acted under anyone’s direction, warning that anyone involved would pay a “heavy price”. He also said that a motive had not yet been established. The UAE said the co-pilot was detained by Saudi authorities after the landing and handed over to the Emirates, which is leading the investigation; Israeli investigators are expected to take part.
Why the case matters beyond the flight
The incident has focused attention on security on Gulf carriers and at Gulf airports, and on how a cockpit tool could be turned against a pilot on a sensitive route. Flydubai suspended its Israel route after the attack, and Israel’s El Al cancelled scheduled flights, briefly stranding Israeli travellers in the UAE. An Israeli carrier, Arkia, operated a first repatriation flight that reached Tel Aviv late on Friday.
The story is also relevant to readers in Pakistan, even though no Pakistanis have been reported among those on board. Dubai is one of the principal transit hubs for travel between Pakistan and the rest of the world, and the UAE hosts a large Pakistani community, so disruption and security reviews on Gulf routes are felt well beyond the Gulf. The attack also unfolded during a period of heightened regional tension, and Israeli officials have said they are investigating possible direction or connections; no such link has been established.
What is still uncertain
Several central questions remain open. The UAE has not officially identified the suspect, and the name circulating in the media comes from unnamed sources and Israeli officials. No motive has been established, and there is no confirmed evidence linking the attacker to a group or a state. It is not yet known whether he acted alone or under direction, how he obtained or accessed the crash axe, or whether screening or crew procedures failed.
The scope and timetable of the UAE-led investigation are also unclear. Investigators have said they are examining physical and digital evidence and will publish conclusions when ready, but no date has been given. Israeli participation raises questions about jurisdiction and information-sharing that have not been explained publicly.
What happens next
The immediate focus is the joint investigation and whether it confirms or changes the prosecutor general’s characterization. A second focus is the future of the Dubai–Tel Aviv route and any changes to cockpit security or screening on Gulf carriers. For travellers, the practical effect so far has been flight cancellations and repatriation, with airlines expected to review their procedures. Further statements are likely from the UAE, Israel and flydubai as the investigation proceeds.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 3 October 2026. The central facts — the UAE prosecutor general's statement carried by the state news agency WAM, the sequence of the flight and the diversion to Tabuk — were cross-checked across independent outlets. The suspect's identity and the motive remain unconfirmed, and the investigation is continuing.
- Al Jazeera English — Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with crash axe in 'terrorist act': UAE3 October 2026 · Independent report of the prosecutor general's statement quoted from WAM, the passenger total, the diversion to Tabuk and the route suspensions.
- BBC News — Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe, UAE official says3 October 2026 · Independent account of the crash-axe finding, the emergency codes, the passengers' role, the reported Omani nationality and the university statement.
- Geo News (Reuters) — flydubai co-pilot attacked pilot with axe, attempted 'terrorist' attack, says UAE3 October 2026 · Pakistan-based report of the prosecutor general's statement and the Flightradar24 descent data.
- The Express Tribune (Reuters) — Flydubai co-pilot attacked pilot with axe, attempted 'terrorist attack', UAE says3 October 2026 · Independent confirmation of the WAM statement, the UAE-led investigation and expected Israeli participation.
