Once the cockpit door was opened, passengers rushed forward to intervene. Together with the cabin crew, they managed to overpower the combative co-pilot, restraining him and ending the physical threat to the flight deck. With the captain seriously injured and the attacker secured, two reserve pilots who were on board the flight took control of the aircraft. They stabilized the plane, corrected its flight path, and initiated an emergency diversion to land the aircraft safely in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
Upon landing on Saudi soil, emergency medical teams met the aircraft. Captain Machchhar was immediately transported to a local hospital for urgent medical evaluation and stabilization. He was subsequently airlifted to a medical facility in Abu Dhabi, where official reports indicate he is currently in a stable condition. Meanwhile, the Omani co-pilot was arrested at the scene by Saudi authorities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later confirmed the arrest, stating that the suspect was being held and interrogated by Saudi security services.
In the United Arab Emirates, the country’s Attorney General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, announced that a full-scale investigation is underway to determine the precise circumstances, underlying motives, and any potential external networks associated with the attack. According to the UAE’s state news agency, preliminary findings from the attorney general’s office indicate that the co-pilot’s actions constituted a deliberate attempt to carry out a "terrorist act."
As international intelligence agencies piece together al-Hammami’s background, his historical ties to Australia have emerged as a primary focus for counter-terrorism investigators. According to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Australian media, al-Hammami was first granted an Australian student visa in 2014. He arrived in the country the following year, living and studying in Australia between 2015 and 2017 before eventually departing.
Although he left the country in 2017, his formal legal status in Australia remained active for two more years. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that his student visa was officially cancelled by authorities in 2019. The cancellation was executed on the grounds that he was no longer enrolled in an approved course of study, making him legally ineligible to maintain his visa. Australian counter-terrorism investigators are currently examining his activities, associations, and online footprint during his multi-year stay in the country to determine if his radicalization began or intensified while he was living there.
