Flydubai Pilot Showed Signs of Radicalization Before Attack Attempt

An Omani pilot who attempted to carry out an attack on a Flydubai flight had previously exhibited signs of radicalization, according to a CNN report. Deleted social media pages, videos filmed from the cockpits of El Al and Arkia planes, and religiously extremist publications were among the materials found concerning the second pilot. His LinkedIn profile, under the name al-Hamami, stated he worked for Oman Air for seven years until February 2025, and then for Royal Air Maroc from June 2025 to January 2026. His profile did not mention employment with Flydubai, where he reportedly began in early 2026, and the page has since been deleted.

Two posts were saved on the profile, published about nine hours after the incident. It remains unclear if these were pre-scheduled or posted by someone else. The first post featured videos from the cockpits of Boeing 737 Max aircraft, the same model al-Hamami attempted to hijack. One clip, filmed at Dubai Airport on October 11, 2023, showed an El Al plane. Another recording, allegedly from the Oman Air cockpit during a flight to Muscat, appeared during his tenure with that airline. Other footage also captured El Al and Arkia planes.

CNN's analysis of al-Hamami's deleted Twitter account revealed extremely religious and misogynistic views. In preserved posts, he wrote about the difficulties his mother faced in finding him a wife willing to wear a niqab and forgo work after marriage. "Everyone refused, so my mother told them: 'My son is a pilot,' and suddenly everyone agreed," the perpetrator stated.

The UAE's Attorney General previously reported that the Flydubai co-pilot intentionally attempted to commit an act of terror during the flight. According to the Attorney General, the pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe and then tried to seize control of the aircraft.