Omani Pilot Who Attempted Flydubai Hijacking Trained in UK, New Zealand

A 29-year-old Omani pilot, Hammam Al-Hammami, received professional flight training in the United Kingdom and New Zealand between 2018 and 2019. He also completed a distance learning degree in aviation management from Buckinghamshire New University in the UK from 2020 to 2023. Al-Hammami previously worked for Oman Air but was removed from his position in 2024 due to concerns about religious extremism. His Twitter activity revealed extremist posts advocating strict religious sanctions and supporting violence, with him describing his Western studies as a "golden age" of his religious devotion.

Australian authorities are investigating whether Al-Hammami was radicalized during his studies in Australia between 2015 and 2017. Following his attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight, Al-Hammami confessed to planning to crash the plane in Israel, stating, "I was not afraid of death." His intended targets were Ben Gurion Airport or a skyscraper in Tel Aviv. He had also previously traveled to Israel.

Israeli security officials are reportedly examining failures related to the incident, with the Shin Bet having interrogated the pilot. The most dangerous scenario envisioned by Israel involved intercepting the aircraft with all its passengers.