FlyDubai - live: Co-pilot behind alleged axe attack under investigation in TWO countries

FlyDubai - live: Co-pilot behind alleged axe attack under investigation in TWO countries Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, is alleged to have tried to hijack a FlyDubai plane with 182 people on board after attacking the captain before passengers helped to subdue him The pilot of a FlyDubai flight has described how he managed to open the cockpit door during an alleged attempted hijacking, calling it a "twist of fate and faith" in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Captain Smit Machchhar explained that the Boeing 737 MAX's cockpit door could only be opened from the outside using a code, but said the alleged attacker was preventing crew members from entering it. He told Mr Netanyahu the only way to open the door was to reach the knob and twist it open. The pilot was praised as a "true hero" by the Israeli prime minister, who said he was "amazed" by Captain Machchhar's "courage and coolness of judgement under impossible conditions". Mr Netanyahu said the pilot had "saved so many souls" during the incident. A FlyDubai co-pilot, Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, is alleged to have attacked Captain Machchhar with an axe before attempting to seize control of the plane as it travelled to Tel Aviv. The flight, carrying 182 people, was nearly crashed before passengers and others intervened. UAE officials have described the incident as "terrorist" in a statement that cited the UAE attorney general. On Saturday, Australian police and security services confirmed they also had launched an investigation into the co-pilot. Key Events How did the incident unfold? Investigators have now put together a minute-by-minute account of how the incident unfolded - and flight data shows just how quickly things went wrong onboard. You can read every detail here. Huge impact on aviation industry predicted Experts have said the incident on Wednesday is likely to have a huge impact on the aviation industry, with a focus on security shifting away from passengers. “Until this event, the possibility of a threat originating from a pilot or crew member was not considered a likely scenario. Security efforts have traditionally focused much more heavily on passengers and their luggage,” said Eyal Hulata, Israel’s former national security adviser. “That will probably change now and crew members will be subject to heavier screening.” Second investigation launched - more details We can now bring you more information on the investigations into the co-pilot. In the aftermath of the attack, authorities in the UAE started an investigation into events as the country’s attorney general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, told state media ‘investigations into the incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073 found that the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist attack’. However, a second country has launched an investigation into Al Hammami. Australian officials have confirmed two police forces and a security agency have opened a probe into the co-pilot. A spokesperson for the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (VIC JCTT), which includes Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation — its version of MI5 — told The Mirror : “Vic JCTT can confirm it is investigating the man's links to Australia.” Co-pilot now being investigated by two countries In a new update on this story, officials in Australia have confirmed they have launched an investigation into the co-pilot's ties to the country just hours after the UAE attorney general provided an update on its probe. We will bring you more details in the next few minutes. More on the heroes who saved the flight Eyewitnesses have also explained how they faced a nervous wait to see if the mystery deadheading pilots could stabilise the plane. Once the two entered the cockpit and closed the door, passenger Daniel Schlichter wasn’t sure who did what inside. It took “quite a lot of minutes,” maybe 10 or more, to stabilize the plane after a descent so extreme that part of its rudder was torn away. “After they managed to stabilize the airplane, actually they did not have any communication with us, and I have to tell you, I was worried about this,” Schlichter said. He worried about an even worse situation — that the men might be “hijacking the plane into maybe Iran, or I don’t know where, because we’re actually not too far.” But after about 45 minutes, he said, the pilots announced that they would be landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and everything was going to be OK. Friends of hero pilot 'broken' Friends of the pilot who was attacked with an axe - but somehow managed to unlock the cockpit door - have described being 'broken' and in 'disbelief' when they heard the news. A FlyDubai co-pilot, Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, is alleged to have attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with an axe before attempting to seize control of the plane. The flight, carrying 182 people, was nearly crashed before passengers and others intervened. Now, Captain Dhaval Patel, a fellow pilot who trained alongside Machchhar in New Zealand, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that he and Machchhar have known each other for “close to two decades” and he was 'just not ready to believe it was Captain Smit'. He added: “When it happens to the person you know, the person you love, it breaks you.” The mystery 'miracle' workers Three days after uniformed crew members rushed to the cockpit to steady the Israel-bound plane carrying 182 people after its sickening plummet, they still haven’t been publicly identified. FlyDubai has called them only on-duty crew members deadheading on the plane. One passenger at the front of the plane, though, described the men’s actions in an interview with The Associated Press, giving one of the most detailed accounts of the yet-unsung heroes. “This is one of the miracles,” said Daniel Schlichter, who was seated in the second row. After a passenger grabbed the copilot and pulled him out, and others grappled with the man to subdue him, Schlichter said that one of the traveling pilots practically hurtled the scrum to enter the cockpit and seize the controls. Suspected attacker 'cooperating' with authorities Hamam al-Hammami, the alleged attacker on board flight FZ1073, is said to be "cooperating" with authorities investigating the alleged attempted hijacking. ABC News reports the Omani national has "indicated" that his intent was to "crash the aircraft in Israel", according to sources familiar with the investigation. Pilot opened cockpit door in 'twist of fate and faith' In his phone call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (see previous post), Captain Smit Machchhar explained the twist-to-open mechanism that the cockpit door had on the Boeing 737 MAX. He said: "The door has a twist-to-open mechanism and can only be opened with a code from the outside. "Crew members were trying to get the code in but the guy [the attacker] was not allowing for the door to be open. "The only way to open the door was to reach the knob and twist the door open." Netanyahu then told Mr Machchhar: "It's a twist of fate and it's a twist of faith and what you did is remarkable." The prime minister added that he was "amazed" at the pilot's "courage and coolness of judgement under impossible conditions". "You are a true hero of the brave people of India and Israel and you're a hero of the entire world. I wish you a very sepedy and complete recovery," Netanyahu said. The Israeli PM also revealed Captain Machchhar has a wife and children. He said: "You are a great hero and you were accompanied by heroes and you saved the day. You saved so many souls. "I think you saved something bigger. You saved the spirit of the world. A brave pilot and brave passengers could overcome this evil, however threatening, however violent. "You are a hero of Israel. You are a hero of India. You are a hero of the entire world. This borders on the miraculous. Please get well as soon as you can." 'True hero' captain describes moment he was hit with axe Captain Smit Machchhar, the pilot of flight FZ1073, has told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the moment he was attacked by co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami. A video capturing the phone call between the PM and Captain Machchhar, posted by Netanhyahu on his X account tonight, heard the pilot describe how he received blows to the back of his head, "one after the other". Mr Machchhar told Netanyahu: "It was a normal flight. The co-pilot wanted to pray, which a lot of locals do. It's not out of the ordinary. "While he was praying, out of respect, I was looking at the front and not at the back [of the cockpit]. "After about four or five minutes, there was a big blow to the back of my head. My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft and something is not right. "But after that, the blows kept coming, one after the other. That's when I realised it wasn't the aicraft. It was the other guy who was in the cockpit with me. "I did try to stop him but because of his initial blows, my vision was almost like nothing. I was completely blurred out and, at that point, the next feeling that I had was that the aircraft was sharply going down. "My memory is still in bits and pieces but this is what I remember. I did manage to open the door once but I think he shut it back. "I was lying down on the cockpit floor and I felt the aircraft and the whooshing sound and people screaming. I had one last fight left in me. "Call it personal or for the people, but I knew that if I didn't [open the door], I was going to die. "That's when I pushed against everything I had and opened the door. "Thankfully, people were waiting to pounce back and take over control. The rest is what you know, sir." Co-pilot 'posted videos of Israeli planes' on LinkedIn Hamam al-Hammami, the Omani co-pilot suspected to have attempted to hijack FlyDubai flight FZ1073, reportedly had two posts appear on his LinkedIn profile about nine hours after the incident. CNN reports it is unclear whether the posts were scheduled in advance or who they were made by. The first one allegedly showed a series of clips filmed in the cockpit of a Boeing 737 MAX, the same kind of aircraft involved in Wednesday's incident. The person who took the video reportedly zooms in on an El Al plane - Israel's flag carrier. The clip was geolocated by CNN to Dubai International Airport, the airport where Wednesday's flight FZ1073 departed from. The video captured the cockpit screen, which showed flight number OMA624 and a date - October 11, 2023. The flight number is associated with a flight which typically travels from Dubai to Muscat, the capital of Oman. The date on the cockpit screen also matches the period of time al-Hammami worked for Oman Air. Other clips in the video show more El Al aircraft, along with one plane from Arkia, which is another Israeli airline. The end of the video shows a photo of Ayman al-Zawahiri, who led al Qaeda after the death of Osama Bin Laden, and a photo of Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, an al Qaeda loyal who killed nine people, including seven American CIA officers and contractors, in a 2009 suicide bombing. The other post on al-Hammami's supposed LinkedIn profile shows an AI-generated picture which features Islam's three holiest sites - Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. The sites are connected by an illuminated trail, with a poem recited in the background speaking of rejecting humiliation, not fearing death and defending one's dignity, CNN reports. Israel allegedly received list of crew members on board FZ1073 in advance Israeli government officials have reportedly received a list of crew members and passengers on board the FlyDubai FZ1073 flight in advance. The list would have included the name of the co-pilot - Omani national Hamam al-Hammami - who attempted to hijack the plane. Haaretz reports that, in Israel, the transportation ministry's security department and Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, are the bodies responsible for monitoring and checking foreign flight crew members due to land in Israel. Warnings should be issued by the two agencies if any suspicions are raised about any of the staff members, with the Israel Tax Authority telling Haaretz that the list was received by the transportation ministry and Mossad. The ministry allegedly did not comment on whether it received the crew members list and examined it. 'Respectable, religious girls ruined in mixed-gender work environments' In deleted tweets, found by CNN's AI-powered semantic search model, al-Hammami wrote about how his mother struggled to find him a prospective wife who would accept wearing a niqab - a veil that only leaves the area around the eyes uncovered. Another condition allegedly imposed by al-Hammami was that his wife would stop working after the wedding. A post from February 2022 read: "They all refused. Then my mother told them, 'My son is a pilot', and they all suddenly agreed." A post made the previous month also said: "How many respectable, religious girls have been ruined in mixed-gender work environments and manipulated?” Alleged attempted plane hijack may have had 'dual target behind it', former US ambassador says Marc Sievers, former US ambassador to Oman, has said the FlyDubai serious incident may have had a "dual target" behind it. His statement comes as the co-pilot who is alleged to have attacked Captain Smit Machchhar has been confirmed to be an Omani national. Hamam al-Hammami also did a three-year distance-learning course and graduated with a degree in aviation management in 2023 from Buckinghamshire New University. Mr Sievers said: "I think there was a dual target behind this attempted act of terrorism. "The investigation will soon reveal whether the co-pilot had a specific target to crash into. "But it’s likely this was also intended to undermine the vital relationship between the UAE and Israel." The former ambassador added that Emirati investigators need a "credible result to restore confidence" and that Israel "needs to preserve the vital commercial air link with the UAE". He said an estimated 1.5 million Israelis have flown home via Dubai and Abu Dhabi over the past three years, "often while no other international carriers would fly this route". Israel's security measures over pilots and crew set to change, says expert Israel has some of the world’s most stringent air travel security measures but is now likely to step up checks on pilots and crew, says the country's former national security adviser. Eyal Hulata said: “Until this event, the possibility of a threat originating from a pilot or crew member was not considered a likely scenario. Security efforts have traditionally focused much more heavily on passengers and their luggage. "That will probably change now and crew members will be subject to heavier screening.” UAE attorney general alleges co-pilot carried out 'terrorist attack' The United Arab Emirates Attorney General, Hamad Saif al Shamsi, alleged that the co-pilot of the plane carried out a "terrorist attack". Investigation into the FlyDubai flight attack are being led by UAE officials. In an update Saif al Shamsi said: “Investigations into the incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 revealed that the co-pilot attempted to carry out a terrorist act. “The co-pilot began executing his plan during the flight, attacking the captain inside the flight deck using a crash axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft’s flight controls." What do we know about al-Hammami's study at UK university Hamam al Hammami completed a distance-learning course in aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University. According to the university’s website, its aviation management courses “look into the background operations, logistics, security and management of the aviation industry”. Aspokesman for the university said: “Our thoughts are with the injured pilot, crew and passengers involved in this incident. “Hamam al Hammami previously completed a distance-learning course in aviation management. He did not undertake any pilot training at the University.” Al-Hammami did three-month training with Royal Air Maroc Royal Air Maroc, Morocco's national carrier, has confirmed that al-Hammami did a three-month theoretical training period with airline. It said he “completed a three-month theoretical training period with the airline in 2025, as part of the pre-employment process. At the end of this training period, his application was not selected for employment.” Meanwhile, a LinkedIn profile bearing the name Hamam al-Hammami said he worked at Oman Air for seven years, leaving in February 2025, before joining Royal Air Maroc in June 2025 and departing in January 2026. Axes are kept in flight cockpits in case of emergency Hamam al-Hammami is accused of using an axe to attack the plane's captain, which are generally required to be kept in cockpits to be used in an emergency. Axes can be used to break open a window to escape or smash a panel to access a fire. The incident forced the flight from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Tel Aviv, Israel, to make an emergency landing in Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Heroic captain gave 'one last push' to open cockpit door after attack The heroic captain of FlyDubai flight FZ1073 gave "one last push" to open the cockpit door as he was being attacked - knowing 170 lives depended on it. Captain Smit Machchhar, from Mumbai, was seriously injured in Wednesday's attack but still managed to gather the strength to open the door and allow in passengers, who restrained the attacker as the Boeing 737 descended sharply. Machchhar is now recovering from his injuries in hospital and has spoken to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is among the many world leaders to have praised his actions. "I was lying on the floor injured but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside," Machchhar told Modi. "Others came in and also played a role [in controlling the situation]. I was of course fighting for my own life but at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die." He went on: "I realised at that time that if I won't show courage, then 170 passengers will lose their lives." Al-Hammami LinkedIn profile shows 'he worked for Oman Air for 7 years' A LinkedIn profile bearing the name Hamam al-Hammami said he worked at Oman Air for seven years, leaving in February 2025, before joining Royal Air Maroc in June 2025 and departing in January 2026. The page makes no mention of FlyDubai. A CNN source reportedly confirmed that the profile belonged to the alleged Flydubai pilot involved Wednesday’s incident with the account now deleted. Off-duty British pilot helped to rescue FlyDubai plane says passenger An off-duty British pilot helped to rescue a plane after a pilot stabbed his colleague in the cockpit and tried to crash the aircraft en route to Israel, a passenger has said. Passengers and crew subdued the alleged attacker as the FlyDubai plane dropped from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet (10,000 metres to 5,100 metres) in about a minute. One passenger, Almog Itali, has told media that one of the off-duty pilots onboard who stabilised the plane was British. In a short translated clip on the BBC, Mr Itali said: “There were two pilots in the front, one stabbed the other, and there were two spare pilots who were supposed to operate the next flight. “The relief pilots are European, one of them British, who entered (the cockpit) and pulled the aircraft up, pulled the yoke, stabilised the plane and landed us in Saudi Arabia.” Trump threatens to hit Iran 'very hard' if linked to FlyDubai attack Donald Trump said that if Iran is linked to the incident on the Israel-bound flight, the Islamic Republic would be struck "very hard". The US president issued the warning as investigators continue to work to determine the motive behind the alleged attack on the FlyDubai flight. Trump was asked by reporters at the White House whether he had been briefed about any links between the co-pilot allegedly behind the attack and Tehran. He said: "We’re working on it right now." "I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes, but we’re working on it right now," Trump said. He did not elaborate about why he suspects Iran might be involved. Al-Hammami's Instagram deleted day before alleged attack An Instagram account appearing to belong to Hamam al-Hammami was active until the day of the FlyDubai flight when it was deleted. Little is known about the co-pilot's background which is now being investigated by authorities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously said the FlyDubai' flights co-pilot had undergone "Islamist radicalization," but provided no evidence. Al-Hammami born in UAE before becoming Omani national A regional official says al-Hammami was born in the UAE and his mother is Syrian but how he obtained Omani nationality is not clear. Security agencies from four countries are now working to establish the motives behind the alleged attack on the FlyDubai flight, aided by the United States and other Western governments. A FlyDubai spokesperson told AP that the airline could not comment beyond its official statements and acknowledged "there are many questions at this stage". The incident is a test for the UAE government, which has earned a reputation for effective measures against extremist activities but has also bristled in the past over criticism of security lapses. Co-pilot 'attacked plane's captain with axe in terrorist attack' The United Arab Emirates, which is leading the investigation, has alleged the co-pilot attacked the FlyDubai flight's with the cockpit's crash axe and tried to take control of the sharply plummeting plane in a “terrorist attack”. His alleged actions nearly crashed the flight with 182 people on board before passengers and others rushed in and subdued him. The fact that he was reportedly barred from flying in Oman has raised questions about how the co-pilot was on the flight. Israel’s government has said it has agreements with foreign carriers to keep pilots of nations without diplomatic ties from flying there. Israel and Oman don’t have formal diplomatic relations. Buckinghamshire New University confirms al-Hammami was student A spokesperson for Buckinghamshire New University has confirmed that al-Hammami did a distance learning course. They said: "Our thoughts are with the injured pilot, crew and passengers involved in this incident. "Hamam al Hammami previously completed a distance-learning course in aviation management. He did not undertake any pilot training at the University." Co-pilot was 'barred from flying in Oman due to extremist views' Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, was reportedly stopped from flying by Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views and was moved to an administrative job at Oman Air, said a regional official. The co-pilot is understood to have been later hired by UAE-based airline FlyDubai and it is not immediately clear to what extent the co-pilot was vetted. The regional official said al-Hammami was born in the UAE and his mother is Syrian but how he obtained Omani nationality was not immediately clear. Security agencies from four regional countries are now working to establish the co-pilot’s motives, aided by the United States and other Western governments. Al-Hammami studied three-year distance-learning course at UK university, says source Hamam al-Hammami did a three-year distance-learning course and graduated with a degree in aviation management in 2023 from Buckinghamshire New University, claimed a source. They stressed that al-Hammami did not take any pilot training at the school.