Flydubai Co-Pilot Planned Earlier Attack, Report Says

The co-pilot suspected of attempting to crash a Flydubai flight into the ground had considered carrying out an initial attack as early as July, according to information published by the Wall Street Journal. Hamam al-Hamami reportedly told investigators he was on the verge of acting but changed his mind. The circumstances and target of this earlier plan were not specified. This revelation suggests the September 30 attack, on a plane carrying 174 Israelis from Dubai to Tel Aviv, may have been planned months in advance. The UAE authorities are keeping much of the interrogation details under embargo, according to the Financial Times, as they seek to determine if the Omani co-pilot acted alone when he attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with a spare axe in the cockpit. The UAE has classified the incident as a terrorist attack.

An examination of Hamam al-Hamami's online activity reportedly revealed he consulted extremist content while living in Australia, with past posts mixing strict Islamic interpretations, antisemitic remarks, and misogynistic discourse. Much of his digital footprint has since been erased. According to ABC News, citing two U.S. officials and an Israeli source, the co-pilot was identified as a potential security risk in 2024. He was allegedly suspended from his trainee pilot position at Oman Air after extremist content and violent, antisemitic social media posts were found in his possession. Despite this alleged background, he joined Flydubai eight months before the attack. Investigators are now trying to understand how he was recruited and assigned to a flight bound for Israel, also examining possibilities of accomplices and potential links to Iran, though no conclusions have been made public.

Representatives from the Mossad, Israeli aviation security specialists, and American agents have joined the investigation in Abu Dhabi. On September 30, Hamam al-Hamami allegedly attacked the captain with the spare axe before attempting to take control of the aircraft. Despite his injuries, Captain Smit Machchhar managed to repel the assailant and open the locked cockpit door. Crew members and several passengers, including Israeli Yaniv Hayoun, then subdued and restrained the suspect. Two off-duty pilots aboard the flight took control, stabilized the plane, and made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Hamam al-Hamami was subsequently handed over to Emirati authorities. The investigation must now establish the extent of the attack's planning and determine if the co-pilot belonged to a network or had external support.