The UAE Attorney General confirmed this morning in an official statement that the September 30 incident aboard the Flydubai flight destined for Tel Aviv was a terrorist act. He revealed that the Omani co-pilot attacked and wounded the pilot, Smit Machchhar, using the aircraft's emergency crash axe.
The UAE Attorney General confirmed Saturday morning that the September 30 incident aboard the Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight was a terrorist attack, and revealed that the Omani co-pilot used the cockpit's emergency crash axe to wound the captain, Smit Machchhar.
The co-pilot, identified as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami, is cooperating with investigators and told them he intended to crash the plane into Israeli territory. Reports from ABC News and other outlets indicated that al-Hammami was suspended from flying at Oman Air in 2024 after extremist materials were found in his possession. He was subsequently restricted to administrative duties before being hired by Flydubai as a co-pilot on routes to Israel.
As The Zioneer has reported, the flight with 182 people on board was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after passengers subdued the co-pilot during the struggle. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Friday that the attacker underwent Islamist radicalization, and a senior Israeli official told Ynet that direct Iranian involvement has been ruled out for now. The suspect remains in Emirati custody.
Investigators are still examining how al-Hammami was permitted to work as a co-pilot for Flydubai despite his prior suspension, and whether he had any connections to terror networks. The Attorney General's designation of the act as terrorism paves the way for legal proceedings.
10 developments
- StrongFlydubai officially halts all flights to Tel Aviv until further notice
- StrongShin Bet investigating terrorist who attempted to hijack Flydubai flight
- DevelopingIsrael Hayom reports new details linking Flydubai hijacking suspect to Iran
- DevelopingNetanyahu directs appointment of examiner for foreign aviation security review
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