Flydubai flight FZ1073 incident raises questions over pilot vetting
Analysed · First reported · Updated
Sources
A co‑pilot attacked the captain on a Dubai‑to‑Tel Aviv flight.
Background‑check policy
Israel’s transportation ministry says it does not conduct background checks on foreign pilots and does not receive pilots’ names in advance, limiting its ability to guarantee safety of foreign airlines. The ministry noted that background checks are outsourced to airlines and that it has no forces abroad to examine every foreign person.
The ministry could not specify how many pilots from hostile states had landed in Israel and suggested that prohibiting foreign airlines from landing would be a foolproof way to prevent incidents.
Cockpit attack
Hamam al Hammami, a 29‑year‑old Omani citizen born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother, was the co‑pilot on Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. He attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe at 33,000 feet, causing the aircraft to descend to 17,000 feet in about a minute.
The flight, carrying 182 people, made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the co‑pilot’s attempt to seize control was subdued.
Pilot’s employment history
Al Hammami was removed from Oman Air pilot training in February 2025 over concerns about extremist ideology and was later barred from flying for the airline, being moved to an administrative role.
He had previously worked for Oman Air for seven years, joined Royal Air Maroc in June 2025, and left that carrier in January 2026.
Investigations and links
Australian Federal Police are investigating al Hammami’s links to Australia under the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team. He held a student visa from 2014, studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017, and had his visa cancelled in 2019 after failing to enrol in another course.
Al Hammami was also held in Abu Dhabi after being accused of attempting to hijack the Israel‑bound flight, and his online posts from 2021‑2022 advocating violence against women were highlighted by media analysis.
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