Flydubai Co-Pilot Suspected of Attempting to Crash Plane in Israel Had Radical Past

New details have emerged regarding the background of the Flydubai co-pilot suspected of attempting to steer the aircraft towards Israel. The co-pilot, identified as Hamam Al-Hamami, was born in the UAE to an Omani father and a Syrian mother. He spent a significant portion of his life abroad, including extended periods in Syria, where sources suggest he was influenced by radical ideologies. Al-Hamami later moved to the UAE and was employed by Flydubai.

Social media activity linked to Al-Hamami has also come under scrutiny. On the day of the incident, two posts appeared on his LinkedIn profile, featuring videos from Boeing 737 MAX cockpits, including footage of El Al and Arkia planes. The videos concluded with images of Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who carried out a suicide bombing in 2009 that killed CIA personnel. Similar videos were previously posted on an Instagram account under the same name before both accounts were deleted. CNN also reviewed nearly 3,000 posts from Al-Hamami's deleted X account from 2021-2022, which reportedly showed conservative religious views and objections to women working outside the home.

Despite these concerning findings, Al-Hamami had no prior disciplinary issues or significant safety concerns recorded by Flydubai before the incident. However, reports indicate he underwent a "deep and hidden process of Islamist radicalization" over the past year. Previously, in 2024, while training with Oman Air, he was flagged as a security risk due to extremist materials found in his possession. He was grounded but allowed to continue in an administrative role before leaving the company and moving to the UAE. He worked for Flydubai for approximately eight months prior to the incident, holding a valid international pilot's license and passing UAE-mandated professional suitability checks.

The investigation is now focusing on the background checks conducted by Flydubai prior to his hiring. It remains unclear if Omani authorities shared information about their concerns regarding Al-Hamami with other entities. Al-Hamami is cooperating with investigators and has stated his intention was to crash the plane in Israel. He was detained in Saudi Arabia and transferred to the UAE, where the investigation is ongoing. Authorities are also examining whether he acted alone or had connections to any organization.