The Flydubai co-pilot who allegedly attacked his colleague in the cockpit and nearly caused a Tel Aviv-bound flight carrying 182 people to crash had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about his extremist views, several US media reports claimed on Saturday.
A Wall Street Journal report identified the co-pilot as Hamam Alhamami, an Omani citizen born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and Syrian mother.
Alhamami reportedly worked as a co-pilot trainee with Oman Air in 2024 before authorities discovered his extremist views and subsequently barred him from flying. He was later hired by UAE-based Flydubai, reportedly about a year ago. It remains unclear what background checks or security vetting were conducted when he was recruited.
Citing investigators, Israel's Channel 12 reported that Alhamami had undergone a process of indoctrination into al-Qaeda's ideology and had met unspecified religious figures as part of his alleged radicalisation.
Al Arabiya English separately reported that he had spent considerable time outside Oman, particularly in Syria, where he was allegedly exposed to extremist and radical ideas.
The allegations about Alhamami's previous employment and ideological background have emerged following the dramatic incident aboard the Tel Aviv-bound flight. Alhamami attacked Captain Smit Machchhar in the cockpit, causing the aircraft to descend approximately 16,000 feet in two minutes.
His attempt to hijack the aircraft was thwarted when Captain Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing other crew members to overpower Alhamami and regain control of the flight. The plane subsequently landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Alhamami reportedly told investigators that he intended to crash the aircraft in Israel—a plan that, had it succeeded, could have resulted in a “9/11-like tragedy”.
Captain Machchhar, an Indian national, is recovering at a hospital in Abu Dhabi and has been widely praised for his actions during the incident.
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Machchhar in a televised video call. Describing the ordeal, the injured pilot, whose head was bandaged, became emotional as he recalled the attack.
“I had so many wounds. I had fallen down. I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realized that if I didn't get up then passengers would lose their lives.”
