Flydubai co pilot named as Hamam Alhamami after cockpit attack on Tel Aviv flight

The Flydubai co pilot accused of attacking the captain of a Dubai to Tel Aviv flight has been identified in multiple reports as Hamam Alhamami, a 29 year old Omani national who had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about extremist views.

The incident took place on Wednesday 30 September aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was carrying 182 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Reports say Alhamami attacked the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, inside the cockpit. The aircraft then descended sharply, by about 16,000 feet in two minutes according to one account, before an emergency diversion to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. Captain Machchhar is reported to have opened the cockpit door, allowing other crew members to overpower Alhamami and regain control of the flight.

ABC News, the New York Post and Saudi state media have named the suspect as Hamam Alhamami, also rendered in some reports as Hamam al Hammami. CNN, citing two sources and an Israeli official, said he is an Omani citizen born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and a Syrian mother, and that he had spent several years in the UAE. A LinkedIn profile in his name, since deleted, recorded seven years at Oman Air ending in February 2025, followed by a spell at Royal Air Maroc from June 2025 to January 2026. An Israeli official told CNN he had worked for Flydubai for only about eight months.

Officials briefed on the inquiry told ABC News that, while training as a co pilot for Oman Air in 2024, Alhamami was found in possession of extremist materials and was identified as a security risk. He was suspended from flying and moved into an administrative role rather than removed from the airline entirely. Al Arabiya English, citing sources, reported that he had spent considerable time outside Oman, particularly in Syria, where he was allegedly exposed to extremist ideas, and that Omani authorities later barred him from flying. The Wall Street Journal reported that it remains unclear whether those concerns were shared with other countries or airlines before he was hired in the UAE.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the co pilot had undergone what he described as Islamist radicalisation, and that the attacker intended to crash the aircraft with everyone on board. Netanyahu said investigators were examining whether he had been sent by others, and warned that those responsible would pay a heavy price. He did not present public evidence for the claim. Israel’s i24NEWS, citing sources briefed on the investigation, reported that Alhamami told investigators he intended to crash the aircraft in Israel. Channel 12 has reported that investigators believe he was indoctrinated into al Qaeda ideology.

CNN said its analysis of social media linked to the suspect found images and video associated with extremist figures, including Ayman al Zawahiri, who led al Qaeda after the death of Osama bin Laden. The profile material has not been independently confirmed by every outlet covering the case. Newsweek noted that it had not independently verified the claims about his earlier suspension.

Alhamami was transferred on Thursday from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, where he is said to be cooperating with investigators. The UAE attorney general has opened an inquiry into whether the attack was linked to terrorist activity and whether it involved prior planning or direction, the state news agency WAM reported. Israeli agencies, including Shin Bet and Mossad, are also examining how an Omani national came to be assigned to a Tel Aviv service. Oman does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.

Flydubai has not publicly confirmed the co pilot’s identity. Questions now centre on the vetting that allowed a pilot previously flagged in Oman to operate a commercial flight to Israel.

By A.Ikechukwu