Flydubai FZ1073 Attack: Captain Smit Machchhar’s Calls With Modi and Netanyahu as UAE Probe Names Terror Plot

New official disclosures have significantly clarified what happened aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 on September 30, 2026. The incident, initially described by UAE aviation authorities as a serious security event, is now being investigated by the United Arab Emirates as an attempted terrorist act.

The co-pilot has been identified in multiple reports as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. Reuters has reported the same identification, while the UAE Attorney-General’s public statement has so far referred to him only as the co-pilot rather than naming him directly.

Indian Captain Smit Machchhar has since spoken directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, providing first-hand accounts of the emergency. At the same time, the UAE Attorney-General has released preliminary findings establishing that the co-pilot attacked Machchhar with a crash axe and attempted to seize control of the aircraft.

From Security Incident to Terrorism Investigation

Flydubai flight FZ1073 was operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport when the emergency developed on September 30. The aircraft was eventually diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority initially confirmed a serious security incident aboard the flight involving injuries to crew members. A specialised Public Prosecution team was subsequently assigned to investigate the episode in coordination with the GCAA and other authorities.

On October 3, UAE Attorney-General Counsellor Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi announced that investigators had concluded that the co-pilot attempted to carry out a terrorist act. According to the official UAE statement, the attacker began executing his plan during the flight, struck the captain with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft’s flight controls.

The UAE has not yet released a final investigation report. Authorities are continuing to examine the circumstances, motive, possible links to other individuals or organisations, technical evidence and digital material connected with the attack.

Hamam al-Hammami Identified as the Co-Pilot

News reports have identified the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. Reuters reported on October 3 that Hammami was the co-pilot accused of attacking Captain Machchhar and attempting to seize control of the aircraft.

Subsequent reporting has placed greater attention on Hammami’s background. Reuters reported on October 5, citing two Israeli officials, that investigators believe he may have planned an attack before joining flydubai and may have sought employment with the airline partly because it operated flights to Tel Aviv.

Those claims go beyond what the UAE Attorney-General has publicly confirmed. The official Emirati investigation has established the attempted terrorist act and the use of a crash axe but has not yet released its final findings on motive, prior planning or possible external connections.

Captain Machchhar Tells Modi How He Responded

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Captain Machchhar by video call on October 2 while the pilot was recovering from his injuries. The Prime Minister’s Office later published a detailed account of their conversation.

Machchhar explained that he had been seriously injured and had fallen inside the cockpit. Despite his condition, his long flying experience allowed him to recognise from the aircraft’s movement that the situation had become critical.

His immediate priority became opening the cockpit door so that people outside could intervene. Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to reach the door control and provide access to crew members and passengers.

He was careful not to claim sole credit for preventing the disaster. Machchhar told Modi that everyone who entered and helped had contributed, while his own overriding concern was preventing the loss of the people aboard the aircraft.

Faith and Composure During the Emergency

Captain Machchhar also told Modi how he maintained his composure during the attack. He said he was reciting the Hanuman Chalisa and continued to draw strength from it during his recovery.

Machchhar explained that he regularly recites the Hanuman Chalisa with his young son and spoke about his family’s continuing connection with Indian culture despite living outside India.

Prime Minister Modi praised his courage, patience and rapid judgement under extreme conditions. He also thanked Saudi Arabia and the UAE for the medical assistance provided after the emergency.

The UAE leadership has separately praised Machchhar. Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum visited him and said the captain had demonstrated exceptional courage, responsibility and care for human life.

Captain Gives Netanyahu Additional Details

A day after his conversation with Modi, Captain Machchhar spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His account added further detail about the moments immediately preceding the attack.

Machchhar told Netanyahu that the episode began after Hammami said he wanted to pray, something the captain did not initially consider unusual. Shortly afterwards, Machchhar was attacked from behind.

He also described hearing passengers screaming while people outside the cockpit attempted to gain access. His conversation with Netanyahu therefore added detail about how abruptly the attack began and how quickly the situation deteriorated.

Netanyahu Praises Machchhar’s Courage

Netanyahu praised Machchhar and described him as a hero of Israel, India and the wider world.

The Israeli Prime Minister invited the captain to visit Israel and said he would be warmly received. Machchhar also expressed a desire to meet the Israeli medical professional aboard the aircraft who helped him following the attack.

The episode has consequently become more than an aviation-security investigation. It has also produced an unusual moment of public recognition from the political leadership of India, Israel and the UAE for the actions of the Indian captain.

Passengers and Additional Crew Join the Response

Official Israeli accounts have highlighted the contribution of passengers and reserve flight personnel once access to the cockpit became possible.

Passengers and crew helped overpower Hammami and prevent him from continuing to interfere with the aircraft. Additional flight personnel were then able to stabilise the situation and continue the diversion to Saudi Arabia.

The successful outcome was therefore the result of a collective response involving Captain Machchhar, passengers, cabin crew and additional pilots.

What the UAE Investigation Has Established

The most important conclusions released so far come from the UAE Attorney-General.

Investigators have established that the co-pilot deliberately attacked the captain with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft. The UAE has officially characterised the episode as an attempted terrorist act rather than an ordinary cockpit dispute.

The unanswered questions now concern Hammami’s motive, the degree of advance planning involved, whether he acted alone and whether he had links to extremist individuals or organisations.

Reports citing Israeli officials suggest the plan may pre-date Hammami’s employment at flydubai, but those assertions have not yet been incorporated into a final UAE investigative finding.

International Investigations Expand

The case is already attracting scrutiny beyond the UAE and Israel.

Australian authorities have opened an investigation into Hammami’s links with Australia after reports that he previously studied at RMIT University in Melbourne. Reuters reported that the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which includes Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, is examining those connections.

That international dimension could become increasingly important as investigators reconstruct Hammami’s movements, associations and aviation career.

Wider Aviation-Security Questions

FZ1073 presents an unusual aviation-security challenge because the suspected terrorist threat originated from a pilot who already had authorised access to the flight deck.

The incident is therefore likely to focus attention on pilot background checks, intelligence sharing between countries, crew psychological and security screening, airline recruitment procedures and safeguards against insider threats.

Questions may also arise over how information held by one national authority can be transmitted to airlines and foreign regulators when pilots move between jurisdictions.

The final UAE report will be particularly important because it could identify not only what Hammami attempted aboard FZ1073, but whether warning signs existed before he entered the cockpit of an Israel-bound commercial flight.

The Investigation Has Entered a New Phase

The story of FZ1073 has moved well beyond the initial reports of an unexplained cockpit altercation.

Captain Smit Machchhar’s conversations with Modi and Netanyahu have provided the human account of the emergency, while the UAE Attorney-General has established the core criminal finding: the co-pilot deliberately attacked the captain and attempted to seize control of the aircraft as part of a terrorist act.

The identification of the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami and the expanding inquiries into his background now shift attention towards a deeper question — how an alleged insider threat reached the flight deck of an international passenger aircraft.

The UAE’s final investigation will determine the wider facts surrounding motive, planning and possible connections. Its findings could also shape future international aviation-security procedures aimed at ensuring that threats from inside the cockpit are detected long before an aircraft leaves the ground.

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References

1. Emirates News Agency — Planning, attempted terrorist act behind flydubai flight FZ1073 incident: Attorney-General, October 3, 2026.
   https://www.wam.ae/en/article/17gemrc-planning-attempted-terrorist-act-behind-flydubai
2. Emirates News Agency — Hamdan bin Mohammed visits flydubai pilot and praises his courage, October 3, 2026.
   https://www.wam.ae/en/article/c2k2ccu-hamdan-bin-mohammed-visits-flydubai-pilot-and
3. Reuters — Flydubai co-pilot attacked pilot with axe in attempted terrorist attack, UAE says, October 3, 2026.
4. Reuters — Australia probes flydubai co-pilot’s links to the country, October 4, 2026.
5. Reuters — Co-pilot planned flydubai attack before joining airline, two Israeli officials say, October 5, 2026.
6. Press Information Bureau, Government of India — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interaction with Captain Smit Machchhar, October 2, 2026.
7. Prime Minister’s Office, Government of Israel — Statements concerning flydubai flight FZ1073 and Captain Smit Machchhar, September 30–October 2026.

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