On Wednesday, a FlyDubai passenger jet bound for Tel Aviv was forced to perform an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the co‑pilot stabbed the captain with a crash axe. The attack, which involved 174 passengers, was reported to have been an attempt to hijack the aircraft.
The co‑pilot, Hamam al‑Hammami, is an Omani national who was born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother. He completed a distance‑learning course in aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University but did not receive pilot training there. Saudi state media said he had been banned from flying last year because of suspected radical ideological views.
UAE prosecutors have described the incident as a terrorist attack and are investigating the suspect’s motives and possible connections to extremist networks. Israeli investigators have joined the UAE inquiry, and former U.S. Ambassador to Oman Marc Sievers suggested the attempt may have been intended to damage diplomatic ties between the UAE and Israel. The investigation is ongoing.
FlyDubai has suspended all flights to Tel Aviv pending safety reviews, although a scheduled departure was noted on Flightradar24. The incident has prompted calls for tighter crew screening and a reassessment of aviation security protocols in the region.
