Flydubai Pilot With Radical Views Nearly Piloted Flight to Israel

A series of security lapses allowed a Flydubai pilot, Hamam al-Hamami, to gain control of a plane bound for Israel, according to Channel 14, citing investigation results. Al-Hamami had a digital footprint on social media featuring radical statements and symbols, including videos of El Al aircraft, images of former Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, and a graphic connecting Mecca, Medina, and the Temple Mount. These videos were later deleted but were part of numerous extremist posts. An analysis of over 3,000 of his messages revealed 43 unusual statements, including threats and hate speech.

Gon Avnon, CEO of Red Valley, stated that al-Hamami had a long-standing history of violent and extremist behavior that should have raised serious concerns. The pilot had previously been suspended from flying by another airline due to radicalization suspicions, but this did not lead to his license being revoked, allowing him to join Flydubai. Investigations revealed that Flydubai management did not request information from his previous employer before hiring him.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have launched an investigation into the hiring process, while Israel has criticized the oversight system for foreign flight crews. It was found that relevant agencies relied on airlines' internal checks rather than conducting independent background analyses of pilots. Security experts noted that these combined factors created a dangerous vulnerability, with multiple warnings from three countries' control systems being ignored, narrowly avoiding an aerial tragedy.