The flydubai co-pilot accused of attempting to sabotage a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight and attacking Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar had reportedly been barred from flying in Oman after authorities raised concerns about his alleged extremist views.
The co-pilot has been identified as Hamam Alhammami, an Omani citizen born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Reports said Alhammami spent much of his time outside Oman, including in Syria, where he was allegedly exposed to extremist ideas.
OMAN AIR FLYING BAN
Alhammami was reportedly working as a co-pilot trainee with Oman Air in 2024 when he was found with extremist material. He was subsequently allowed to remain with the airline in an administrative role but was barred from flying after being deemed a security risk.
Despite the restriction, Alhammami was later hired by flydubai, enabling him to operate flights between the UAE and Israel.
Reports have also alleged that Alhammami intended to crash the flydubai aircraft in Israel.
SUSPECTED SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES
CNN reported that Alhammami had worked for flydubai for around eight months. A now-deleted LinkedIn profile in his name reportedly stated that he had spent seven years with Oman Air before leaving in February 2025.
He subsequently joined Royal Air Maroc in June 2025 and left the airline in January this year, before moving to flydubai.
The profile reportedly published two terror-related posts within around nine hours of the flydubai incident, although the authenticity and ownership of the accounts have been reported rather than independently established.
One post allegedly contained cockpit footage from a Boeing 737 Max, including footage of an El Al aircraft. It reportedly ended with images of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who carried out a 2009 suicide bombing that killed nine people.
Another post reportedly featured an AI-generated image depicting Islam’s three holiest sites — Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem — alongside a poem referring to rejecting humiliation, not fearing death and defending one’s dignity.
CNN also reported that a now-deleted X account linked to Alhammami portrayed him as deeply religious and misogynistic.
WHAT HAPPENED ON THE FLYDUBAI FLIGHT?
Earlier this week, Alhammami allegedly attempted to sabotage a flydubai aircraft carrying more than 170 passengers, including 24 children, before attacking Captain Machchhar when the Indian pilot tried to intervene.
The Boeing 737 was reportedly cruising at around 34,000 feet when it began descending at approximately 23,000 feet per minute, eventually reaching about 15,600 feet.
Despite suffering injuries, Captain Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing crew members and passengers to enter and overpower the attacker.
Videos from inside the aircraft showed passengers and crew reacting in panic. Captain Machchhar was seen lying injured outside the cockpit and telling others that the co-pilot had attacked him. A passenger or crew member could also be heard asking whether a doctor was on board.
Passengers near the front of the aircraft helped restrain Alhammami. Yaniv Hayoun, who was among those intervening, reportedly grabbed the co-pilot and pulled him away from the cockpit.
A dentist on board provided emergency medical assistance to Captain Machchhar.
Two relief pilots who had been seated toward the rear of the aircraft subsequently took control of the plane and diverted it to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. The aircraft landed safely.
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