A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv plunged into a rapid dive on Wednesday after its co-pilot, identified by US media as 29-year-old Omani national Hamam Al Hammami, allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar and seized the controls. Passengers overpowered him and a third pilot took over, landing the aircraft safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Al Hammami had reportedly been identified as a security risk and barred from flying by Oman Air in 2024 over possession of extremist materials, yet continued working in an administrative role. Officials are now investigating how he was cleared to fly again — and for an Israel-bound route. Flydubai suspended Tel Aviv operations pending an official inquiry.
Flydubai hijack suspect Hamam Al Hammami: how a flagged security risk reached a Tel Aviv cockpit
The co-pilot accused of attacking his captain and attempting to crash a Flydubai jet bound for Israel has been identified as Hamam Al Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national whom intelligence and law-enforcement sources say had already been flagged as a security risk.
What happened in the air
Aboard the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv service on Wednesday, Al Hammami allegedly turned on Captain Smit Machchhar and put the aircraft into a rapid dive. The captain fought back, passengers rushed the flight deck and restrained him, and a third pilot travelling in the cabin took the controls. The plane landed safely in Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia. Among those credited is passenger Yaniv Hayoun, who says he helped steady the controls until the relief pilot arrived. A physician aboard, Dr Shota Musaev, said the restrained, bloodied suspect told him he was from Oman and repeatedly asked, “Kill me please.”The screening question at the centre of the probeInvestigators say Al Hammami, then an Oman Air co-pilot trainee in 2024, was found with extremist materials and removed from flying duties — but was retained in an administrative post. The central unanswered question is how he was subsequently cleared to fly commercially with Flydubai, and assigned as first officer on one of the world’s most tightly scrutinised routes.
Official reactions
Al Hammami has reportedly been cooperating and has indicated his intent was to crash the aircraft in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the alleged attacker as having undergone Islamist radicalisation and said whoever sent him “will pay a very heavy price,” praising passengers for averting what officials likened to a 9/11-scale tragedy. Flydubai, in a statement attributed to its chief executive, said it had temporarily suspended Tel Aviv operations at the authorities’ request, with a full official investigation under way. Oman Air, Flydubai and the Omani embassy did not immediately comment.
The educational trail
An online biography believed to be his lists aviation management at a British university and engineering in Australia. Buckinghamshire New University confirmed he completed a three-year distance-learning degree in aviation management in 2023 but stressed he received no pilot training there. An Australian institution declined to comment, referring queries to the Australian federal police.
Why it matters
Post-9/11 cockpit security was engineered to keep outsiders out. This case points to the threat already inside — and to the gaps between national security flags and airline vetting records.
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