Flydubai Suspect Hamam Al-Hammami Was Removed From Oman Air Flight Training Over Radical-View Concerns

The Omani co-pilot accused of attacking his captain aboard a Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight was removed from flight training at Oman Air in 2025 over concerns about his extremist views, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN.

Hamam al-Hammami was identified by sources as the suspect in the cockpit assault on flight FZ1073 on Wednesday, 30 September. The Boeing 737 was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a confrontation in the cockpit caused the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly.

A regional diplomat said that al-Hammami was removed from flight training and reassigned to another role at Oman's national airline. A subsequently deleted LinkedIn profile bearing his name indicated that he had left Oman Air in February 2025 after about seven years.

How Hamam al-Hammami Was Flagged Over Extremist Views

An Israeli official told CNN that al-Hammami had worked for Flydubai for about eight months before the incident. The deleted LinkedIn profile also listed a period at Royal Air Maroc between June 2025 and January 2026.

However, Royal Air Maroc told Reuters that al-Hammami underwent three months of training with the airline in 2025 but was not selected for employment. The airline's account does not establish that he worked there as a pilot.

Flydubai said it could not comment while the incident remained under investigation. CNN also sought comment from Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the suspect was believed to have undergone 'Islamist radical indoctrination', while acknowledging that a motive had not been established.

On Saturday, UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said investigators had found that the co-pilot attempted a terrorist act by attacking the captain with a crash axe and trying to take control of the aircraft. He said inquiries into the circumstances, motives and any possible connections were continuing.

Deleted Social Media Posts Linked to Hamam al-Hammami

CNN reported that a LinkedIn profile bearing al-Hammami's name showed he had completed a three-year distance-learning course in aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University in England, graduating in 2023. The university confirmed the course details to CNN; the reporting did not establish that he received pilot training there.

Two posts appeared on the profile on Wednesday, about nine hours after the incident. CNN said it was unclear who published them or whether they had been scheduled in advance.

One post included cockpit footage from a Boeing 737 Max. In a clip CNN geolocated to Dubai International Airport, the camera focused on an El Al aircraft. The cockpit display showed flight number OMA624 and the date 11 October 2023, corresponding to a period when the profile indicated al-Hammami worked at Oman Air.

The video ended with images of former al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who carried out a suicide bombing in Afghanistan in 2009 that killed nine people, including CIA personnel.

A second post featured an AI-generated image connecting Islam's holy sites in Mecca and Medina with Jerusalem, accompanied by a poem expressing defiance and a lack of fear of death.

CNN reported that the same videos appeared around the same time on an Instagram account with the same name and profile pictures. That account was also deleted. CNN said it had contacted Meta for comment.

The outlet also analysed a deleted Twitter account bearing al-Hammami's name, which contained nearly 3,000 posts from 2021 to 2022. Some criticised mixed-gender workplaces, describing them as having a 'corrupting effect on women'. A February 2022 post discussed prospective wives and conditions involving wearing a niqab and stopping work after marriage. The posts do not, by themselves, establish a motive for the flight incident.

Why the Flydubai Incident Has Raised Security Questions

It was reported, using flight-tracking data, that the aircraft lost more than 16,000 feet in just over 30 seconds. The flight was carrying more than 170 people, according to a news agency.

The captain, identified as Smit Machchhar, was injured during the assault but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to intervene. A reserve Flydubai pilot travelling on board then took control, and the aircraft landed safely in Tabuk.

The captain and co-pilot received medical treatment. Passengers were subsequently transported to Tel Aviv on a replacement aircraft.

Israel has screening arrangements for incoming flights, and Netanyahu said the incident exposed a 'loophole' that would be reviewed. Israel does not have diplomatic relations with Oman, but it remains unclear how al-Hammami came to be assigned to the flight.

The UAE is leading the investigation because the aircraft is registered there. Israeli authorities are expected to participate, while Saudi authorities handled the initial response after the diversion.

Investigators are continuing to examine the suspect's motives, the circumstances of the cockpit assault and any possible wider connections. The reported concerns at Oman Air have also raised questions about how information relevant to pilot vetting is assessed and shared between airlines and aviation authorities.