The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of a Flydubai aircraft and attempting to crash the Israel-bound flight had previously been suspended from flying by Oman Air after allegedly being identified as a security risk, according to senior intelligence and law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation.
The suspected attacker has been identified by multiple sources as 29-year-old Omani national Hamam Al Hammami. According to the officials, Al Hammami was working as a co-pilot trainee with Oman Air in 2024 when he was allegedly found in possession of extremist materials.
Despite the incident, sources said Al Hammami was subsequently permitted to continue working with Oman Air in an administrative capacity. Investigators are now examining how he was later cleared to fly for Flydubai and ultimately became a first officer on a flight bound for Israel.
According to sources briefed on the investigation, Al Hammami was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday and is cooperating with authorities. Sources also claimed that he has indicated his intention was to crash the aircraft in Israel.
Flydubai, Oman Air and the Omani Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the allegations.
Flydubai said on Friday that, at the request of authorities, it had temporarily suspended its operations to Tel Aviv until further notice. The airline said that a full official investigation led by the relevant authorities was underway and that Flydubai was fully supporting the process.
Captain and Passengers Helped Prevent Disaster
The incident unfolded when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the aircraft’s captain, Smit Machchhar, and the plane subsequently entered a rapid dive. The captain fought back while several passengers rushed forward and helped restrain the attacker.
Passenger Yaniv Hayoun, an Israeli plumber, said he pulled back on the aircraft’s controls to help stabilise the plane. A third pilot who was travelling in the passenger cabin then took over the aircraft’s controls.
The flight eventually landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, averting what could have become a major aviation disaster.
Another passenger, Dr Shota Musaev, told ABC News that he encountered the suspect after he had been restrained outside the cockpit. Musaev said Al Hammami told him that he was from Oman and, at one point, allegedly asked him to kill him.
Israeli officials are expected to participate in the questioning of Al Hammami as investigators attempt to establish his motives and whether anyone else was involved.
Netanyahu Calls It Islamist Radicalisation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the suspected attacker had undergone what he described as “Islamist radicalization.” Netanyahu alleged that the man intended to crash the aircraft with all passengers on board and said authorities were investigating whether he had been sent by someone else.
He also praised Hayoun and the other passengers for helping prevent what he described as a potential tragedy on the scale of the September 11 attacks.
Investigators are also examining Al Hammami’s educational background. An online biography believed to belong to him reportedly stated that he studied aviation management at a British university and engineering at an Australian university.
A source at Buckinghamshire New University confirmed that Al Hammami completed a three-year distance-learning course and graduated with a degree in aviation management in 2023. The university clarified that he did not receive pilot training there.
Authorities are continuing to investigate how Al Hammami moved from being flagged as a potential security concern during his time with Oman Air to obtaining a flying position with Flydubai. The investigation is also expected to examine his alleged extremist materials, possible radicalisation and whether there was any external direction behind the incident.