Flydubai pilot recovering after mid-air stabbing incident
An attempted hijacking on a FlyDubai flight to Israel involved an Omani co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, who attacked the captain with a crash axe. The flight, carrying 182 people, was diverted to Saudi Arabia after passengers and crew subdued the assailant. Al-Hammami had previously been banned from flying in Oman due to extremist views. Investigations are ongoing, focusing on security lapses that allowed him to bypass checks. The UAE has classified the incident as a 'terrorist act,' and Australian authorities are probing potential links to al-Hammami. Israeli officials are reviewing security protocols, particularly regarding foreign pilots from nations without diplomatic ties to Israel.
Published 3 days ago • 03 Oct 2026, 12:47 PM IST