- Flydubai co-pilot allegedly attacked captain on Tel Aviv flight.
- Incident scrutinizes Flydubai’s rapid pilot recruitment practices.
- Omani pilot previously grounded by Oman for extremist views.
- Pilot deliberately targeted airlines flying to Tel Aviv route.
Flydubai’s rapid expansion is coming under fresh scrutiny after an Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain of a Tel Aviv-bound flight and attempted to take control of the aircraft. The incident involving Flight FZ1073 has raised questions over how the fast-growing airline recruits and screens pilots as it expands its network across the region. Hamam al-Hammami, the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking Captain Smit Machchhar, joined Flydubai in February 2026. His recruitment came as the airline was significantly expanding its workforce and increasing its pilot numbers to meet strong demand for air travel after the pandemic.
The incident has put the airline’s hiring practices under renewed attention, particularly because of concerns previously raised about al-Hammami’s background.
Rapid Airline Expansion
Flydubai has grown substantially since the pandemic, with its overall workforce nearly doubling in just a few years.
The airline’s total headcount increased from around 3,682 employees in 2021 to 6,763 in 2025. Its pilot workforce also expanded as the carrier responded to strong post-pandemic travel demand and a global shortage of commercial pilots.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the airline lowered some flight-hour requirements while also increasing pay in an effort to attract more pilots.
The pace of recruitment is now being examined alongside the background of the pilot accused in the Flight FZ1073 incident.
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Questions Over Hammami
Al-Hammami’s previous flying career has emerged as a significant part of the investigation.
Oman had earlier removed him from flying duties because of concerns over extremist views, according to earlier reporting by The Wall Street Journal. He subsequently worked for Royal Air Maroc before joining Flydubai.
His move to Flydubai in February 2026 has drawn attention because the airline operates an extensive network across destinations that carry particular geopolitical sensitivities.
The allegations against al-Hammami do not, by themselves, establish that Flydubai’s recruitment procedures were responsible for the incident. However, his earlier removal from flying duties has prompted questions about the checks conducted before he was employed by the airline.
Tel Aviv Route
Flydubai has built its network by serving destinations that a number of Western carriers have avoided or approached more cautiously, including Kabul, Damascus and Tel Aviv.
Its Tel Aviv operations assumed greater importance following the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel. According to The Wall Street Journal, more than 800,000 passengers travelled with Flydubai to Ben Gurion Airport in 2025.
Flight FZ1073 was operating on this particularly sensitive route when the alleged cockpit attack took place.
What Hammami Told Investigators
Al-Hammami has reportedly told interrogators that his decision to apply to Flydubai was deliberate.
According to the report, the Omani pilot said he had specifically searched for airlines operating flights to Tel Aviv before applying to Flydubai.
That account has added another layer to the investigation into the alleged attack, as authorities examine both his actions aboard Flight FZ1073 and his intentions before joining the airline.
The case has consequently brought attention not only to the alleged attempt to interfere with the flight, but also to the recruitment journey of a pilot whose previous flying career had already raised concerns in Oman.
Confidence Under Pressure
For Flydubai, the incident comes at a particularly sensitive point in its growth. The airline has expanded rapidly since the pandemic and established itself as a major low-cost carrier serving a wide range of destinations.
The alleged attack involving a newly recruited co-pilot has now placed greater focus on the systems used to assess pilots before they enter the cockpit.
