FlyDubai Pilot's Social Media Showed Radical Views, Al-Qaeda Links

CNN has uncovered material linked to Al-Qaeda and evidence of radical religious views on the deleted social media accounts of Hamam al-Hammami, the second pilot of FlyDubai flight FZ1073. According to CNN, two posts appeared on al-Hammami's LinkedIn account approximately nine hours after the incident. It remains unclear if these were posted by someone else or scheduled for automatic release.

The first post was a video compilation from a Boeing 737 MAX cockpit, with one segment geolocated to Dubai International Airport. The footage showed a person in the cockpit zooming in on an El Al Israeli Airlines plane, with flight number OMA624 and the date October 11, 2023, visible. This was during al-Hammami's tenure at Oman Air. Other segments displayed El Al and Arkia aircraft. The video concluded with images of Ayman al-Zawahiri, who led Al-Qaeda after Osama bin Laden's death, and Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi, an Al-Qaeda-linked individual who carried out a 2009 attack on a U.S. base in Afghanistan, killing nine people including seven CIA employees.

The second post featured an AI-generated image of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem connected by a glowing line, with a recited poem about rejecting humiliation, fearing no death, and defending dignity. Similar videos were posted almost simultaneously on an Instagram account under the same name and profile picture. Both the LinkedIn and Instagram accounts have since been deleted. CNN has reached out to LinkedIn and Meta for comment.

CNN journalists also analyzed nearly three thousand deleted Twitter posts from al-Hammami's account dating from 2021-2022, using an AI-powered semantic search system. CNN's assessment suggests these posts indicate al-Hammami held extremely conservative religious views. He reportedly discussed seeking a wife who would wear a niqab and cease working after marriage. Another post opposed co-education, arguing it negatively impacts religious women.

CNN is also investigating how an Omani citizen, from a country without diplomatic ties with Israel, was allowed to work on flights to Tel Aviv. Israel's Tax Authority confirmed to CNN that all passenger and crew names for FZ1073 were submitted to Israeli authorities before departure, but redirected queries about crew vetting to the Ministry of Transport. The Shin Bet stated that foreign airline security is the ministry's responsibility. A transport ministry representative stated on October 3 that current procedures do not involve vetting foreign airline flight crew names, adding, "The Ministry of Transport's procedures do not account for a threat emanating from the pilot."

CNN confirmed al-Hammami worked for Oman Air for approximately seven years, leaving in February 2025. A regional diplomat stated he was removed from flight training due to concerns about his radical views and reassigned. His LinkedIn profile indicated he joined Royal Air Maroc in June 2025 and left in January 2026. Royal Air Maroc representatives previously told AP that he underwent a three-month onboarding training but was not ultimately hired. A source in Israel told CNN that al-Hammami worked for FlyDubai for about eight months. His LinkedIn profile did not mention his FlyDubai employment but stated he studied Aviation Management via distance learning at Buckinghamshire New University in the UK, graduating in 2023 without flight training.

Al-Hammami's official links to Al-Qaeda or any other terrorist organization have not yet been established. The investigation aims to determine if his posts reflected his own views, if he had extremist contacts, and who posted the social media content after the attack. The UAE has officially classified al-Hammami's actions as an attempted terrorist act. UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi stated the second pilot attacked Captain Smith Machchar with an emergency axe and attempted to seize control of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. It was previously reported that al-Hammami had raised suspicions due to extremist views at Oman Air, where he was moved to an administrative role after being grounded, according to AP. It is unknown if this information was shared with UAE or FlyDubai authorities before his hiring.

Investigations are being conducted by Israeli, UAE, Saudi, and Omani services, with assistance from the U.S. and other Western nations. An Israeli investigation team arrived in the UAE on October 3 to participate in al-Hammami's interrogations. There are no confirmations of him acting on behalf of Iran or any other country. The names and nationalities of two relief FlyDubai pilots who were passengers and took control after the attack have not yet been released.

The attempted terrorist act occurred on September 30 when al-Hammami attacked Captain Smith Machchar over the Jordan-Saudi Arabia border. The aircraft experienced sharp altitude drops, and the crew transmitted emergency codes 7700 and later 7500, indicating unlawful interference. The plane landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with damage to its rudder. Aviation experts noted the struggle in the cockpit, the captain's severe injuries, and the sharp maneuvers posed an immediate threat of catastrophe. Captain Machchar, despite severe injuries, managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to subdue the attacker. Off-duty pilots on board then stabilized the aircraft and piloted it to Tabuk.

Four Israeli passengers, Yaniv Hayun, Tzvika Manes, Assaf Radjuan, and Dr. Shota Musaev, played a crucial role after the cockpit door was opened. Hayun, Manes, and Radjuan entered the cockpit and tackled al-Hammami, with Hayun pulling the attacker away from the controls and attempting to level the aircraft. Manes and Radjuan helped restrain him. Passengers reported al-Hammami saying he preferred to die and demanding to be killed after the attack failed. Dr. Musaev provided first aid to the severely injured Captain Machchar, stopping the bleeding and stabilizing his condition until landing.

Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog announced his intention to award the Presidential Medal for Civilian Heroism to Hayun, Manes, Radjuan, and Musaev. Herzog also specifically mentioned Tali Manes, Tzvika Manes's wife, who first noticed the events in the cockpit and raised the alarm. Herzog stated that the actions of the passengers and crew "prevented a huge catastrophe."