- The flydubai co-pilot Hamam Alhamami was barred from flying by Oman over extremist concerns
- Alhamami was reportedly influenced by extremist ideas during time spent in Syria
- He joined flydubai despite the ban and reportedly intended to crash the plane in Israel
The flydubai co-pilot who attempted to sabotage the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight and attacked Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar was reportedly barred from flying by his native Oman over concerns that he had adopted extremist views.
The co-pilot has been identified as Hamam Alhammami - an Omani citizen born in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to an Omani father and Syrian mother, a report by The Wall Street Journal said.
According to reports, Alhammami spent most of his time outside Oman, particularly in Syria, where he was allegedly influenced by extremist ideas.
Reports said that Alhammami was working as a co-pilot trainee for Oman Air in 2024 when he was found to be in possession of extremist materials. He was allowed to continue working for the airline in an administrative role, but was barred from flying after being identified as a security risk. Despite the ban, Alhammami was hired by flydubai - the Dubai-based airline - allowing him to fly on the sensitive route connecting the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
Reports also suggested that Al Hamami had intended to crash the flydubai aircraft in Israel.
Co-pilot's suspected social media profiles
The pilot had worked for flydubai for only eight months, reported CNN, adding that a now-deleted LinkedIn profile bearing the name Hamam Alhammami said that he worked at Oman Air for seven years and left the airline in February 2025. He then joined Royal Air Maroc in June 2025 and quit in January this year before joining flydubai.
Also Read: Omani Pilot Who Tried To Crash Plane Didn't Have Dual Citizenship: Report
The profile had reportedly made two posts in about nine hours after the flydubai incident - both terror-related. The first post reportedly showed a series of clips in the cockpits of a Boeing 737 Max aircraft, with the person filming zooming in on a plane that belongs to the Israeli airline El Al. The video ends with a photo of Ayman al-Zawahiri, a terrorist who led al-Qaeda after the death of Osama Bin Laden, and a photo of Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi - who killed nine people in a 2009 suicide bombing in the US.
Another post showed an AI-generated image showing Islam's three holiest sites in Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, with a poem in the background speaking of rejecting humiliation, not fearing death, and defending one's dignity, reported CNN.
Another report by CNN said that Alhammami's now-deleted X account showed him as "deeply religious and misogynistic".
flydubai incident
Earlier this week, Alhammami tried to sabotage the flydubai aircraft, which was carrying over 170 passengers including 24 children, and later stabbed Captain Machchhar, who tried to stop him. At the time, the Boeing 737, cruising at about 34,000 feet, began dropping at roughly 23,000 feet per minute before reaching about 15,600 feet.
Despite being injured, the Indian pilot unlocked the cockpit door, allowing crew and passengers to intervene and overpower the attacker.
Also Read: 'I Was Injured But Couldn't Let Passengers Die': Captain Smit Machchhar To PM Modi
Footage showed chaos inside the aircraft mid-air, with people shouting in panic. It also showed Captain Machchhar lying in a pool of blood on the ground outside the cockpit and saying his co-pilot hit him. "My hand...I can move my hand but cannot squeeze it," he said. Another person, who appeared to be a crew member, asked passengers, "Doctor, is there a doctor?"
Passengers near the front helped move the attacker away from the cockpit. Among them was Yaniv Hayoun, who grabbed the co-pilot, choked him, and pulled him away.
In the meantime, a dentist gave life-saving help to Captain Machchhar.
Two other relief pilots who were seated at the back took over the aircraft and diverted it to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
