Flydubai flight 1073 attacked by copilot with axe, crew and passengers react
Analysed · First reported · Updated
An Omani copilot attacked the commander of Flydubai flight 1073 with an emergency axe, leaving the commander seriously injured. Passengers and crew responded in the cabin amid conflicting reports about crew demands.
Attack and commander condition
The copilot, identified as 29‑year‑old Omani citizen Hamam al‑Hammami, struck the commander, Indian Smit Machchhar, with an axe in the cockpit of flight 1073. The commander survived but was left in serious condition, and the attack was described as a terrorist act by UAE prosecutor‑general Hamad Saif Al Shamsi.
Attacker background
Al‑Hammami had a history of Islamist radicalisation and was suspended in 2024 for possession of extremist material while employed by another airline. Despite the suspension, he continued working in a different role for an airline and was later hired by Flydubai. He was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday and is cooperating with investigators. He stated his intention was to crash the aircraft in Israel.
Cabin response
Passengers refused to allow flight attendants into the cockpit and a passenger guarded the cockpit entrance. Flight attendants were moved to the fifth–sixth row of the cabin, handed out water and blankets to frightened passengers, and passengers placed an oxygen mask on the incapacitated pilot. A passenger also put an oxygen mask on the restrained pilot, according to some reports.
Crew actions and statements
Flydubai said the investigation is ongoing and declined to comment on the crew’s actions. Some reports state that the crew demanded the release of the pilot after his attack on the commander, while other accounts attribute that claim to passengers.
What's still unclear
Sources differ on whether the crew demanded the release of the pilot; some say the crew made the demand, while others say passengers reported the crew’s demand.
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