Flydubai Co-Pilot Identified as Suspect in Attempted Terror Attack

The co-pilot suspected of attempting to crash a Flydubai flight into Israel has been identified as Al-Hamami, an Omani citizen who previously worked for Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc. Al-Hamami reportedly confessed during interrogation that his intention was to crash the plane in Israel. This revelation comes amid reports from Western and Saudi media suggesting Al-Hamami was suspended from Oman Air due to extremist views. The UAE has officially stated that the co-pilot attempted a terror attack.

New details emerging about Al-Hamami's past raise questions about his hiring by Flydubai. Reports indicate his employment at Oman Air ended in 2024 due to suspicions of radicalization, with "extremist materials" found in his possession. Despite this, he remained with the airline in an administrative role. It remains unclear if this information was shared with subsequent employers, including Flydubai.

Further investigations have uncovered concerning online activity. Two posts appeared on a LinkedIn account attributed to Al-Hamami nine hours after the incident, including videos from the cockpit of a Boeing 737 MAX, the same model used in the attempted attack. One video focused on an El Al plane at Dubai International Airport, displaying a flight number from an Oman Air flight to Muscat on October 11, 2023, shortly after the October 7th Hamas attacks. The posts also featured images of El Al and Arkia aircraft, and a picture of the late Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Al-Hamami also reportedly held extreme religious views on a now-deleted X account. One post from February 2022 mentioned difficulties finding a wife who would accept his demand for her to wear a niqab. Another from January 2022 expressed opposition to gender mixing in the workplace. He studied aviation management remotely at Buckinghamshire New University, graduating in 2023.

The investigation is ongoing in the UAE, overseen by the State Security Service. Israel expects to receive regular updates from Abu Dhabi and hopes for cooperation, particularly given the lack of diplomatic ties between Israel and Oman. The UAE's Attorney General confirmed Al-Hamami is suspected of attempting a terror attack, stating he assaulted the captain with an emergency axe and tried to seize control of the flight systems. While the possibility of him acting alone or with accomplices is being investigated, current intelligence suggests he acted independently, with no immediate evidence linking him to Iran, despite speculation from figures like Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.