Flydubai has suspended all flights to and from Israel after an Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked his captain mid-flight in what investigators describe as a failed terror plot.
The Dubai-based carrier confirmed the indefinite halt on Thursday, with a company spokesperson telling The Post, “Flydubai flights to and from Israel are suspended until further notice.” The spokesperson added that the airline “remain[s] in close coordination with the relevant authorities and regulators, and will communicate any updates regarding our flights through our official channels.”
The crisis erupted Sept. 30 aboard Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 carrying 172 passengers and 8 crew members from Dubai toward Israel. Hamam al-Hammami, 29, the Omani co-pilot, allegedly assaulted Capt. Smit Machchhar with a cockpit crash axe while the aircraft cruised at roughly 34,000 feet.
The plane plunged 17,000 feet in approximately two minutes as the violent struggle unfolded in the confined cockpit space. Machchhar, despite serious injuries, managed to unlock the cockpit door, enabling crew members and passengers to rush inside and subdue al-Hammami.
Two qualified pilots who happened to be traveling as passengers then assumed control, stabilized the jet, and diverted it to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where they executed a safe emergency landing. All 180 people on board survived the ordeal.
Investigators believe the assault was part of a premeditated terrorist scheme to hijack the aircraft and crash it into either the passenger terminal at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport or a tower block in a nearby city, aiming to replicate a 9/11-scale catastrophe.
Al-Hammami was taken into custody following the landing in Tabuk. Machchhar received medical treatment in Saudi Arabia and has since returned to the United Arab Emirates.
Flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith issued a statement on Sept. 30 expressing profound relief that no lives were lost. “I want to express my deep gratitude to our Captain, the pilots who secured the aircraft and landed it safely, as well as our cabin crew,” he said. “I extend our sincere gratitude to the pasengers on board who assisted our crew during a challenging situation.”
Al Ghaith acknowledged the swirling questions surrounding the attack and pledged full transparency pending official findings. “I know there are many questions about what happened on board FZ 1073,” he continued. “A full official investigation, led by the relevant authorities and fully supported by flydubai, is underway.” He emphasized that “it is important that we allow this process to establish the facts.”
The chief executive closed his remarks with a firm restatement of the airline’s commitment to passenger welfare. “Safety is, and always will be, our highest priority,” he said.
The suspension leaves Flydubai as the latest carrier to sever or curtail Israel connections amid heightened regional tensions, with Emirates also reportedly barring travelers headed to Israel from boarding first-leg flights into Dubai.
