An informed source said on Saturday, 3 October 2026, that the co-pilot suspected of involvement in the incident involving Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was an Omani national named Humam al-Hamami, as UAE authorities continued investigating the attack that took place inside the cockpit during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Two sources identify co-pilot
Three people familiar with the case, including a Gulf diplomat and a Western diplomat, said the co-pilot was al-Hamami. The Gulf diplomat added that the investigation was seeking to determine whether the suspect had acted alone or had links to extremist groups, as inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident continued.
The UAE Federal Attorney-General, Counsellor Dr Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, said the investigation had established that, in the authorities' description, the co-pilot had begun carrying out a terrorist act. He said the co-pilot had initiated his plan during the flight, assaulted the pilot inside the cockpit using an emergency axe and then attempted to take control of the aircraft's controls.
Investigation into attack motives and links continues
Al-Shamsi said the investigation was still under way to establish all the circumstances and motives behind the incident, as well as any related links. The procedures include completing technical examinations and analysing physical and digital evidence, with the final findings to be announced once the necessary procedures have been completed.
The flight had departed Dubai International Airport for Ben Gurion Airport on 30 September 2026 before a security incident inside the cockpit forced the aircraft to divert and make an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority said the incident resulted in injuries to some crew members, who were taken to a hospital in Saudi Arabia for medical care.
Flydubai said members of its crews who were travelling on the flight intervened to secure the aircraft and regain control before it was diverted and landed safely. The company also praised the passengers who helped the crew members during the incident and said it had sent two replacement aircraft to Tabuk to transport the passengers and crew.
The company's chief executive, Ghaith al-Ghaith, said all 172 passengers and crew members were safe, including the pilot, who returned to the UAE after obtaining the necessary medical clearance. He added that the company was supporting those affected and co-operating fully with the official investigation.
UAE courts have jurisdiction over investigation
The UAE Public Prosecution ordered the formation of a specialised team to investigate the circumstances and causes of the incident in co-ordination with the General Civil Aviation Authority and the relevant authorities. The UAE Foreign Ministry said the country's judicial authorities had jurisdiction over the investigation because the aircraft was registered in the UAE and flew its flag, meaning UAE law applied to crimes committed on board even if they occurred outside the country's territory.
Sources familiar with the investigation said al-Hamami had previously been barred from flying in Oman over security concerns linked to ideas attributed to him, before later working for Flydubai. This information remains part of accounts from sources being examined by the ongoing investigation, including the recruitment and security-screening procedures that preceded his work on board the flight.
Flydubai temporarily suspended its flights to and from Israel at the authorities' request and in co-ordination with them, pending progress in the investigation and the establishment of the full facts. The company said it was working to assist passengers affected by the suspension and provide them with alternative arrangements where possible.
