UAE President awards Order of Zayed II to flydubai crew
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has awarded the First Class Order of Zayed II to the flydubai crew involved in September's in-flight incident, recognizing their courage in protecting passengers.
Omar Al Nuaimi
Crew recognized for protecting passengers
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented the awards and praised the crew for acting responsibly during the incident. Sheikh Hamdan is Dubai's Crown Prince, the UAE's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.
The crew expressed pride in the award and thanked the President. The honor reflected his recognition of service, dedication and commitment.
Officials attending included Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman of Dubai Airports, and chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group. The UAE leaders commended the crew's professional response in keeping passengers safe and securing the aircraft, and reaffirmed the country's priority of protecting people's safety and security.
What happened aboard FZ 1073
The awards relate to flight FZ 1073 on September 30, 2026. According to flydubai, the aircraft was traveling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport when a flight deck safety incident prompted a diversion to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
Passenger accounts and initial assessments cited by Wikipedia describe an attack by first officer Hamam al-Hammami on captain Smit Machchhar. According to those accounts, al-Hammami used the cockpit crash axe to seriously wound the captain, then put the aircraft into a steep descent in an apparent attempt to hijack and crash it.
The same account says Machchhar opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers to restrain the first officer. Other flydubai pilots traveling aboard as deadheading crew then landed the aircraft at Tabuk.
In a subsequent statement, flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith confirmed that all 172 passengers and crew were safe and receiving care. He also said the captain had received medical clearance and returned to the UAE.
Investigation and flight suspension
According to Wikipedia's account, the suspect was transferred to the UAE on October 1, 2026. UAE authorities opened an investigation into the incident, the motive and any possible connection to terrorism, with Israel joining the inquiry. Law enforcement agencies from both countries are investigating, while agencies from Saudi Arabia and the United States are monitoring.
Reports around October 8-9, 2026, cited by Wikipedia said UAE prosecutors had confirmed that al-Hammami planned a suicide attack in which he would crash the aircraft into a terminal at Ben Gurion Airport. Investigators believed the September 11 attacks had inspired the plan.
Flydubai said it temporarily halted Tel Aviv operations at the authorities' request while the investigation continued. The airline described the suspension as lasting until further notice.
