Flydubai Flight 1073

Flydubai Flight 1073 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight operated by Flydubai from Dubai International Airport in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel. On 30 September 2026, while en route, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 experienced what UAE officials have called an attempted terrorist attack.

According to passenger reports, the first officer, Hamam al-Hammami, struck and seriously wounded the captain, Smit Machchhar, with the cockpit crash axe during the flight and sent the plane into a steep descent, in an apparent attempt to hijack and crash the plane, causing structural damage to the aircraft's rudder due to overspeed. The captain was able to open the cockpit door to let in passengers, who restrained the first officer and stabilized the plane. Other Flydubai pilots deadheading on board then landed the plane in Tabuk. Al-Hammami was taken into custody after the landing. The incident is under investigation by law enforcement agencies from Australia, Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the United States. Images of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and suicide bomber Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi were found on al-Hammami's social media. He reportedly planned to crash the plane into a Tel Aviv skyscraper, or into Ben Gurion Airport.