FlyDubai Co-Pilot in Mid-Air Cockpit Attack on Israel Flight Identified as Hamam Alhamami
The co-pilot accused of stabbing his captain and attempting to crash an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight has been identified as 29-year-old Omani national Hamam Alhamami (also spelled Hamam al-Hammami).
According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, officials in Oman had previously banned Alhamami from flying within their jurisdiction due to concerns over suspected Islamist radicalization.
Intelligence and law enforcement officials noted that while working as a trainee for Oman Air in 2024, he was found in possession of extremist materials, prompting his suspension from flight duties.
Despite this prior aviation ban, Alhamami was subsequently hired by the Dubai-based carrier and assigned to the commercial route.
It remains undetermined whether authorities in Muscat shared their security concerns or his radicalization background with other countries or airlines.
On Wednesday, while serving as first officer on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Alhamami repeatedly stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar.
Witnesses and investigators state that he then initiated a steep dive in an attempted terror attack aimed at crashing the aircraft. Captain Machchhar, despite suffering severe injuries, managed to open the cockpit door. This allowed passengers and off-duty crew members to rush inside, subdue Alhamami, and safely divert the aircraft to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
While reports could not specify the exact nature of his radicalization, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that personal information gathered during the ongoing investigation indicates Alhamami had undergone intensive “Islamist radical indoctrination.”
