Israel Recognizes Passengers of Attacked flydubai Flight as Victims of Hostile Incident

Israel's Defense Ministry announced on Monday that the passengers who were aboard flydubai Flight 1073 on September 30 will be recognized as victims of a hostile incident. The designation is expected to make those on the flight eligible for monetary compensation, as well as potential access to government-subsidized services.

The flight was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, carrying mostly Israeli passengers, when the copilot, Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, attacked the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, and attempted to crash the aircraft.

The plane plunged thousands of feet before several Israeli passengers forced their way into the cockpit, whose door Machchhar had managed to open while under attack. The passengers immobilized the copilot and initially stabilized the aircraft. Two off-duty pilots who happened to be on board then took over the controls and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, after which a replacement aircraft brought the passengers back to Tel Aviv.

"Following official confirmation from the authorized investigative bodies in the State of Israel, the Defense Ministry's approving authority recognized the attempted attack on the 'flydubai' flight as a hostile incident," the ministry said in its announcement.

The ministry added that the decision had been passed to the National Insurance Institute, which is in contact with those affected and will handle the matter going forward. The institute said in its own statement that citizens "who sustained a physical or mental injury" are able to file a claim.

No one on the flight was killed in the attack. Several people were lightly wounded during the steep descent, while Machchhar was seriously hurt, suffering stab wounds to the head.

The near-disaster laid bare significant weaknesses in Israel's security procedures for incoming foreign flights. There was no effective oversight of how airlines vetted their pilots, no Israeli screening of crews, and aircrew lists were routinely submitted only after planes had already taken off. Al-Hammami himself had previously been grounded by Oman Air after he was found in possession of extremist materials, yet flydubai hired him and he worked the Dubai to Tel Aviv route intermittently.

Several passengers told The Times of Israel last month that they felt abandoned by the government following the attack. "Unfortunately, Israeli authorities have done zero as far as reaching out to people or helping," said passenger Daniel Schlichter. Another passenger, Almog Italie, said he felt "completely alone," stressing that the trauma and post-trauma required proper treatment and that the authorities were not cooperating.

At that time, the National Insurance Institute said it could not assist the survivors until the Defense Ministry classified what happened as a hostile action, while the ministry said it was still waiting for information from investigating authorities before making its decision.

Survivors of the flight have also begun pursuing legal action. Roughly 100 passengers have joined an effort to file a class-action lawsuit against flydubai and against government authorities in Israel and the United Arab Emirates over the alleged security failures that enabled the attack.