In brief
On 30 September a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was hijacked when the co‑pilot struck the captain with a crash axe. Passengers seized control, forcing the aircraft to descend before an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The captain, though injured, fought to open the rear door for the passengers, after which reserve pilots safely landed the aircraft in Tabuk. Australian authorities are probing the co‑pilot’s former student visa ties to the country, seeking evidence of radicalisation. The incident is being treated by UAE officials as a potential terrorist act, with the co‑pilot now under investigation in Saudi and UAE courts.
On 30 September a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was hijacked in mid‑flight when the co‑pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe.
Passengers managed to overpower the co‑pilot, regaining control and forcing the aircraft to descend before an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The captain, injured but alive, fought to open the rear door for the passengers, after which two reserve pilots safely landed the aircraft in Tabuk.
All passengers survived, though the plane sustained damage and the flight crew are receiving medical treatment.
Australian authorities have begun probing the co‑pilot’s former ties to the country, asking whether he was radicalised during his time on a student visa between 2015 and 2017.
Security agencies are checking for links to extremist groups, as the incident may have been a ‘terrorist act’ according to UAE officials.
The man, identified as Hamam al‑Hammami and reported as Omani, was formerly employed at Oman Air but was removed from training for suspected radical views.
He was arrested at the Saudi emergency landing site and is being questioned by Saudi and UAE authorities; the UAE attorney general has said investigations are underway.
