Flydubai Pilot Suspected of Terror Attempt Identified

US authorities have identified the pilot suspected of intending to carry out a terrorist act on a Flydubai flight. According to investigation sources, the individual is a 29-year-old Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami. CNN reported this information. A LinkedIn profile, later deleted, associated with this name indicated that he worked for Oman Air for approximately seven years, leaving in February 2025. In June of the same year, he began employment with Royal Air Maroc in Morocco, departing in January 2026. While his work at Flydubai was not mentioned in the profile, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to the television channel that the account belonged to him. The profile also stated that he studied at Buckinghamshire University in the UK. A university representative confirmed that the individual completed a three-year distance learning program, earning a degree in aviation management in 2023. Following the incident, al-Hammami's X and Instagram accounts were also deleted. However, two video clips appeared on Instagram after the incident. One featured footage of Israeli aircraft filmed from other cockpits, concluding with images of former Al-Qaeda leader and the Jordanian triple agent Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi, who conducted a suicide attack on a CIA base in Afghanistan in 2009. The second post reportedly showed an AI-generated image of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, Islam's three holiest sites, accompanied by a poem with provocative content. Earlier, UAE authorities officially classified the attempted hijacking and crash of the Flydubai plane en route to Israel as an act of terrorism. This classification came a day after the investigation was handed over to Emirati authorities and Captain Smith Macchachchar publicly recounted the events for the first time.