Arabian Post Staff -Dubai
Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said on Friday that Hammam al-Hammami, a 29-year-old citizen of Oman, had admitted planning to seize control of the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight and cause the greatest possible loss of life. The suspect remains in UAE custody while investigators examine his account and the circumstances surrounding the attempted hijacking.
The September 30 attack occurred as flight FZ1073 crossed Saudi airspace. Prosecutors said al-Hammami struck captain Smit Machchhar repeatedly with an emergency axe kept inside the cockpit. Despite suffering serious injuries, Machchhar managed to unlock the reinforced cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to intervene and overpower the co-pilot.
The aircraft descended sharply during the struggle before control was restored. Pilots travelling as passengers helped stabilise the jet, which subsequently made an emergency landing at Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia. The passengers survived, while the injured captain received medical treatment.
Al-Shamsi said the suspect had provided a detailed confession in the presence of his lawyer and with the required legal safeguards. He claimed to have acted without accomplices, although prosecutors said that assertion remained subject to verification. No organisation has been established as responsible for directing the alleged plot.
Investigators believe al-Hammami selected the passenger terminal as his target after studying the route and airport operations. He had flown to Tel Aviv twice before the incident, journeys prosecutors said he used to familiarise himself with the approach and the intended destination.
The attorney-general said the suspect’s interest in extremist ideology developed during his studies in Australia in 2017. Investigators attributed that development to his consumption of extremist literature and online material promoting terrorist organisations and suicide attacks. They said he drew inspiration from the September 11 attacks in the United States and subsequently associated his aviation ambitions with carrying out a similar operation.
These findings reflect the account presented by UAE investigators rather than conclusions tested in court. Prosecutors said the suspect had described preparing psychologically and physically for the attack, including through repeated exposure to violent propaganda and private boxing training.
Australian Federal Police are examining his period as a student in Melbourne and possible connections relevant to the investigation. Authorities in New Zealand have also begun inquiries into flight training he undertook there after leaving Australia. Neither inquiry has established that anyone in those countries participated in the attempted attack.
The disclosures have intensified scrutiny of employment screening within commercial aviation. Al-Hammami worked for Oman Air before pursuing an opportunity with Morocco’s Royal Air Maroc. The Moroccan carrier said he completed a three-month theoretical training programme in 2025 but was not selected for employment. He joined flydubai in January 2026.
Questions have emerged about warnings concerning his views during his earlier aviation career. However, the UAE investigation has not established that flydubai knowingly employed someone preparing an attack. Authorities said the co-pilot passed the airline’s professional and security checks without his alleged extremist intentions being detected.
Israel has ordered a review of security arrangements governing foreign civilian flights after the attempted hijacking. The incident has also raised questions about how crew identities are assessed for flights entering Israeli airspace, particularly when employees hold citizenship of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the captain and passengers for their intervention. Machchhar subsequently described being struck from behind while his colleague was praying in the cockpit. His decision to open the door allowed others aboard to restrain the attacker before the aircraft could reach its intended destination.
The attack also prompted scrutiny of the emergency equipment available to flight crews. The axe used in the assault is normally carried for use during an emergency, including situations requiring access through parts of an aircraft structure. Its presence inside the cockpit meant the alleged assailant did not need to bring a weapon through passenger screening. Aviation specialists have distinguished that vulnerability from the separate question of crew vetting.
Saudi authorities are conducting a separate aviation safety investigation into the flight’s abrupt descent and emergency diversion. The UAE criminal inquiry is continuing, including efforts to establish the suspect’s movements, communications and whether his assertion that he acted alone can be independently substantiated.
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