Co-pilot in FlyDubai incident is identified as Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami
The aircraft diverted after the captain was attacked, and investigators are examining possible extremist links and how the pilot was cleared for the route.
- 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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The authorities' investigation also revealed what type of weapon he used to hurt the pilot.
He was fired from Omani airlines for his extremist ideology
Ax-wielding FlyDubai co-pilot had been flagged over extremism concerns
The United Arab Emirates says the co-pilot on a FlyDubai flight that nearly crashed with 182 people on board attacked the captain with the cockpit’s crash ax in a “terrorist attack.” Earlier Saturday, the co-pilot was identified as an Omani…
Flydubai Suspect Hamam Al-Hammami Was Removed From Oman Air Flight Training Over Radical-View Concerns
Flydubai co-pilot Hamam Al-Hammami was reportedly removed from Oman Air training over extremist concerns before allegedly attacking the captain, prompting an investigation into the incident and pilot vetting.
Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, was identified as the man who attacked captain Smit Machchhar on the flight to Israel.
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