Dubai Crown Prince Praises Pilot Who Thwarted Attack on Flight Full of Israelis

The Crown Prince of Dubai, who also serves as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the United Arab Emirates, Hamdan bin Mohammed, visited a flydubai pilot in the hospital who sustained injuries while thwarting a terrorist attack on a flight carrying Israeli passengers. Bin Mohammed praised the pilot, Smit Machchhar, on X (formerly Twitter), stating that he "embodied the highest degrees of courage, responsibility, and care for human life." He added, "From us, and from the leadership of the nation, he has our full appreciation and praise. We are proud that he is part of our team… part of our nation's story… and part of what the United Arab Emirates represents… a country of compassion… a country of peace… and a country of life."

An investigation into the attempted hijacking of flydubai flight 1073 revealed that the Omani co-pilot attacked the Indian captain with the emergency axe in the cockpit in an "act of terror," according to UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi. Airlines are typically required to carry an emergency axe in the cockpit for use in emergencies, such as breaking a window for escape or opening an access panel in case of fire. Al-Shamsi stated that the investigation is ongoing to determine the circumstances, motives, and any potential connections to other parties, as well as to examine physical and digital evidence. Several American media outlets identified the co-pilot as Hammam al-Hamami, a 29-year-old Omani citizen. According to CNN, a now-deleted LinkedIn profile under his name indicated he worked for Oman Air for seven years until February 2025, then joined a Moroccan company in June 2025, leaving in January 2026. The profile did not mention employment at flydubai, but a source familiar with the matter confirmed it was his account. He also studied aviation management remotely at a university in England, graduating in 2023. His social media accounts on X and Instagram were deleted after the incident. Instagram posts reportedly included videos of Israeli aircraft and images of former Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and Jordanian agent Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi, who carried out a deadly suicide bombing against a CIA base in Afghanistan in 2009. Another post featured an AI-generated image of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem with defiant poetry.