Flydubai 737‑8 MAX diverted after first officer attacked captain on Sep 30

On 30 September, Flydubai flight FZ1073 departed Dubai for Ben Gurion when first officer Hamam al‑Hammami, a 29‑year‑old Omani national, allegedly assaulted the captain with a hatchet and attempted to seize the controls; the aircraft’s transponder emitted a 7700 emergency code, briefly switched to 7500, then returned to 7700 before the flight was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely with all 172 people on board unharmed.

Two Flydubai pilots on positioning duty took over the controls and completed the landing, and a preliminary investigation has identified the incident as the act of a lone individual with no links to any organization or foreign government.