Banned for Radical Views: Who Is Flydubai Co-Pilot Hamam al-Hammami?

New Delhi, October 3: The Omani co-pilot accused of attacking Indian Captain Smit Machchhar during a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, according to multiple reports. The incident took place on September 30 after the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain inside the cockpit, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

 

 

According to a Wall Street Journal report, al-Hammami had previously worked for Oman Air, where concerns were reportedly raised over his alleged radical views. Also reported that he was removed from a training role at Oman Air following concerns about his extremist views. A regional diplomatic source said he was later assigned another role at the airline. His LinkedIn profile reportedly showed that he worked with Oman Air for around seven years before moving to Royal Air Maroc and later joining Flydubai.

 

Reports said al-Hammami was born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and a Syrian mother and spent several years in the UAE. His identity has been reported by Israeli and Saudi sources. He reportedly worked with Flydubai for around eight months before the September 30 incident. He also studied aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University in England, according to reports citing his LinkedIn profile.

 

 

 

 

One of the videos reportedly ended with images of former al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who carried out a 2009 suicide bombing in Afghanistan that killed nine people, including seven CIA personnel and contractors. Another post reportedly contained an AI-generated image showing the three major Islamic holy sites in Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem, accompanied by a poem about dignity, death and resistance. The material is being examined as part of the wider investigation into the incident.

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier said that the suspect was believed to have undergone what he described as “Islamist radical indoctrination”. However, authorities are still investigating the circumstances and possible motive behind the cockpit attack.

 

 

 

 

The revelations about al-Hammami's previous employment have raised questions about how he was cleared to work as a commercial co-pilot after concerns had reportedly emerged during his time at Oman Air.

The incident has also drawn attention to the fact that the flight was bound for Tel Aviv. Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, adding another layer to questions being examined by investigators about how an Omani citizen was cleared to operate on the route.