Suspect Hamam al-Hammami's Hijack Attempt on Flydubai Foiled

Hamam al-Hammami was arrested for allegedly attempting to hijack flydubai Flight 1073, intending to crash the aircraft into a building or another aircraft. During interrogation in the United Arab Emirates, he revealed plans to incapacitate the captain and maintain normal flight operations until the final moments.

Al-Hammami attempted to take control of the cockpit over Jordan but was thwarted when Captain Smit Machchhar, despite being attacked with a crash axe, managed to unlock the cockpit door. Passengers, including Yaniv Hayun, intervened, overpowering al-Hammami and preventing a disaster.

Al-Hammami had previously visited Ben Gurion Airport multiple times, gathering information for his plot, which he initially planned to execute in July but postponed due to personal connections with a crew member. The attack began when he requested to pray near the cockpit, where he accessed the crash axe.

The incident occurred around 9:15 a.m., leading to a struggle that briefly left the aircraft without control.