Co-pilot in FlyDubai incident is identified as Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami
Investigators say the co-pilot tried to crash the aircraft after attacking the captain, and 174 people were aboard, officials said.
- On September 30, Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami attacked Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit of a Tel Aviv-bound flight, forcing the aircraft to plunge around 16,000 feet before an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- Citing a "terrorist attack," the United Arab Emirates reported that al-Hammami used a crash axe to seize control, prompting passengers and crew to subdue him before the plane stabilized.
- Oman Air had previously barred al-Hammami from flying over extremist views, according to multiple sources; Flydubai subsequently hired him anyway, intensifying scrutiny over vetting protocols.
- Captain Machchhar is recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital following severe injuries sustained during the assault, while Flydubai temporarily suspended all operations to Tel Aviv.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the incident resulted from "Islamist radicalization" and identified a "loophole" in screening protocols, as intelligence agencies investigate whether al-Hammami acted alone or had extremist connections.
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"You are a true hero of the brave peoples of India and Israel," said the Israeli Prime Minister in a video on Saturday in Israel. "The man, assaulted by his co-pilot, had prevented a tragedy by opening the door to his cockpit. - "You are a hero for the whole world": Netanyahu invites the Indian pilot of the Flydubai flight in Israel (International).
Four American citizens were on Flydubai flight to Israel, according to US officials
Four American citizens who also hold Israeli nationality were among the passengers on board the Israel-bound Flydubai flight on Wednesday, according to two US officials. Passengers have arrived safely in Israel on a replacement Flydubai flight after one pilot allegedly stabbed the other in the cockpit and the plane plunged thousands of feet. The person …
Hammam al-Hamami, 29, who was arrested in Abu Dhabi after an alleged attempt to hijack a Flydubai plane, had posted messages calling for violence against women and supporting harsh religious punishments. The Daily Telegraph reported the case, which was reported by the Bulgarian National Radio. Al-Hamami is an Omani citizen and was a co-pilot. In social media posts made during his training, he said women should be “stomped underfoot” and endorsed…
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