DOMINANT ANGLE
Warsaw is closely examining the chain of command of the crews: behind the "terrorist attack" of the co-pilot, the Polish press points out the security flaws on the Israeli side.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The Attorney General spoke on Saturday, October 3, of an attempted "terrorist attack": the co-pilot allegedly wanted to attack the commander with an axe during flight FZ1073.
- 02
The plane, with 170 passengers, lost more than 5.2 km of altitude before making an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia; Indian commander Smit Machchhar triggered the opening of the door.
- 03
According to Haaretz and Kanal 12, cited by RMF24, the crew list had been transmitted to Israeli services before takeoff, and the Shin Bet says it only monitors Israeli companies.
ANALYSIS
Warsaw, October 4, 2026. Gazeta Prawna reports that the Attorney General of the United Arab Emirates indicated on Saturday, October 3, that during the Flydubai FZ1073 flight between Dubai and Tel Aviv, the co-pilot allegedly attempted to attack the commander with an axe and commit a "terrorist attack". According to the newspaper, three people close to the case told the Associated Press that it was Omani national Hamama al-Hammami. According to the Wall Street Journal, cited by the newspaper, he was banned from flying in Oman due to fears of radicalization; it is unknown if Flydubai was aware of this when hiring him.
The newspaper describes the events: the attack occurred on Wednesday, September 30, on board an aircraft carrying 170 passengers and more than a dozen crew members, mostly Israelis according to media reports. After approximately two and a half hours of flight, the plane lost more than 5.2 kilometers of altitude before making an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Indian commander Smit Machchhar says he managed to trigger the door opening mechanism, which allowed passengers to subdue the assailant. Benjamin Netanyahu compared the incident to the September 11, 2001 attacks on CNN, specifying that Israeli services had no prior intelligence. The investigation into the circumstances, motive, and material and digital evidence is ongoing, according to the prosecution cited by the Emirati agency WAM.
RMF24 shifts the focus to Israel, under the title "Did Israeli services miss the threat?". Based on the newspaper Haaretz and the Kanal 12 channel, the radio recalls that in recent years, pilots of Iranian, Syrian, or Iraqi nationality have flown to Israel thanks to dual nationality. Al-Hammami himself had already flown to Israel, the last time just a week before the incident. The crew list had been transmitted to Israeli services before departure.
The question of responsibility is at the center of the text: the safety department of the Ministry of Transport and the Mossad are responsible for verifying foreign crews, but the ministry would not have its own means. The Shin Bet emphasizes that it is only responsible for Israeli companies and Ben Gurion Airport; for foreign carriers, Israel relies on information provided by other states, such as the UAE or Saudi Arabia.
