Was Flydubai Omani co-pilot planning a 9/11-like ‘terrorist act’ in Israel? UAE probe reveals...
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Was Flydubai Omani co-pilot planning a 9/11-like ‘terrorist act’ in Israel? UAE probe reveals...")
Was Flydubai Omani co-pilot planning a 9/11-like ‘terrorist act’ in Israel? UAE probe reveals... Photograph: (AFP)
UAE investigators say Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami planned a terrorist act and told authorities he intended to crash Flydubai flight FZ1073 in Israel after attacking Captain Smit Machchhar.
United Arab Emirates investigators probing the Flydubai incident earlier this week revealed that the co-pilot who attacked Indian Captain Smit Mahchhar and attempted to crash the aircraft has been identified as an Omani national and was planning a “terrorist act”. They added that he used the emergency axe in the cockpit to attack the captain. The investigators did not reveal his motives. Multiple media reports have identified the co-pilot as an Omani national, Hamam al-Hammami. They added that he had extremist views and had been barred from flying by an Omani airline. Reports have also highlighted that he posted radical views and terrorist material on social media. Now, the question remains: Was Hamam al-Hammami planning to crash flight FZ1073 in Israel in a 9/11-like attack?
What Omani co-pilot told investigators
Al-Hammami was transferred to the United Arab Emirates from Saudi Arabia, where the plane made an emergency landing conducted by two off-duty pilots, on Thursday (Oct 1). According to an ABC News report, citing sources familiar with the investigation, the 29-year-old Omani suspect is said to be “cooperating” with the authorities investigating the incident. He told investigators that he intended to crash the aircraft in Israel.
What we know about Hamam al-Hammami
Al-Hammami was born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother and spent several years in the UAE, CNN reported. Multiple reports indicated that he was suspended from flying by Oman Air after authorities found extremist material in his possession. He was a co-pilot trainee at the airline and was removed from the flight-training programme in 2024. He subsequently worked in an administrative role. According to reports, the Omani suspect also spent time in Syria, where he was allegedly exposed to extremist ideologies.
Al-Hammami’s social media activity raises questions
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Al-Hammami’s social media accounts showed that he often posted extremist views. Two posts appeared on al-Hammami’s LinkedIn profile about nine hours after the incident, though it remains unclear who uploaded them or whether they were scheduled. One post featured cockpit videos from Boeing 737 Max aircraft, including footage geolocated by CNN to Dubai International Airport. The clips showed El Al and Arkia aircraft and included flight number OMA624, linked to a Dubai-Muscat route. The footage ended with images of former al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and 2009 suicide bomber Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi. A second post featured an AI-generated image depicting the three holy sites in Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem, accompanied by a poem about rejecting humiliation, not fearing death and defending dignity.
His deleted social media accounts showed that he often posted extremist views. His posts discussed religion, marriage and gender. One 2022 post allegedly was about his mother struggling to find him a prospective wife who would accept his reported conditions that she wear a niqab and stop working after marriage. Other posts criticised mixed-gender workplaces, claiming they had a corrupting influence on women.
Al-Hammami reportedly studied aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University in England. The university confirmed to the publication that a man with the same name completed a three-year distance-learning course and graduated in 2023.
