Flydubai Flight FZ1073 attacked in cockpit on route Dubai‑Tel Aviv, diverts to Tabuk

On 30 September 2026 flydubai flight FZ1073 departed Dubai International Airport for Ben Gurion International Airport when the co‑pilot, identified as 29‑year‑old Omani Hamam al‑Hammami, attacked the captain with an emergency axe and tried to seize control of the Boeing 737‑MAX 8.

The aircraft lost about 16,625 feet of altitude in just over 30 seconds, dropping more than 14,000 feet according to one report, before passengers and crew intervened and the plane diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing; all 172‑174 passengers and eight crew members survived.

Captain Smit Machchhar sustained a depressed skull fracture during the struggle, received initial treatment in Saudi Arabia and was later transferred to the United Arab Emirates for further care.