Omani Pilot Suspected of Attempting to Crash Flydubai Jet Into Israel

US media outlets have identified the Omani pilot suspected of attacking the captain of a Flydubai flight bound for Israel last Wednesday as Al-Hammami. Sources close to the investigation revealed that his employment at Oman Air was suspended due to suspected extremism. Al-Hammami reportedly confessed during interrogation that his intention was to crash the plane into Israeli territory. He is cooperating with investigators in the UAE, and Israel is expected to participate in the probe.

Al-Hammami, an Omani citizen born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother, previously worked for Oman Air for seven years before leaving in February 2025. He then joined Royal Air Maroc in June 2025 but departed in January 2026. His LinkedIn profile did not list his subsequent employment with Flydubai, which began this year.

In 2024, while still a co-pilot at Oman Air, Al-Hammami was found with "extremist materials," leading to his suspension from flying duties, though he continued in an administrative role. It remains unclear if this information was shared with other airlines he worked for, including Royal Air Maroc and Flydubai.

CNN reported that Al-Hammami's LinkedIn account, prior to being deleted, featured posts uploaded nine hours after the incident. One post included videos from the cockpit of a Boeing 737 MAX, the same model as the Flydubai aircraft. One video, filmed at Dubai International Airport, zoomed in on an El Al plane. The cockpit display showed Al-Hammami was piloting an Oman Air flight from Dubai to Muscat on October 11, 2023, shortly after the October 7th Hamas attack. The posts also showed El Al and Arkia planes and ended with an image of former Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The UAE's State Security apparatus is leading the investigation, with Israeli security officials hoping for greater cooperation following Al-Hammami's transfer from Saudi Arabia to the UAE. While Israel's direct role is unclear, it anticipates regular updates from Abu Dhabi. Despite close ties, the UAE may seek to limit public Israeli involvement in the investigation.

Initial suggestions by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of potential Iranian involvement have not been substantiated. Israeli security sources indicate that while all avenues are being explored, there is currently no evidence that Al-Hammami was directed by an external party, with preliminary assessments suggesting he acted alone. An AP source close to the investigation confirmed there is no current evidence linking the pilot to Iran.

The UAE Public Prosecutor described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack. Al-Hammami allegedly attacked the captain with an emergency axe and attempted to control the aircraft's systems. Flydubai stated the circumstances are still under investigation and declined further comment. Netanyahu had previously acknowledged that allowing the Omani pilot to fly a plane to Israel, despite the lack of diplomatic ties between the countries, represented a "loophole" that the suspect exploited.