An international flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia last Wednesday after its co-pilot allegedly attacked a colleague and attempted to seize control of the aircraft. The incident, which the UAE’s attorney-general described as an attempted "terrorist act," has ignited scrutiny over airline crew vetting processes and raised concerns about aviation security.
"The Ministry of Transport’s procedures do not address the threat from a pilot." Spokesperson, Israel’s Transportation Ministry
The Flydubai flight, a Boeing 737 Max 8, was en route to Tel Aviv when the reported assault occurred. While the UAE’s attorney-general did not name the suspect, two sources and an Israeli official identified him as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani citizen. Saudi state media also used this name. The alleged act prompted swift condemnation and an ongoing investigation by authorities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the incident on Thursday, stating that the suspect is believed to have undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination.” This statement underscores the serious nature of the allegations and suggests a potential ideological motive behind the co-pilot's actions.
Details emerging about al-Hammami’s background paint a complex picture. One source indicated he was born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and a Syrian mother, and spent several years living in the UAE. His professional history, as detailed on a LinkedIn profile carrying his name, showed seven years at Oman Air, supposedly ending in February 2025, and a stint at Royal Air Maroc from June 2025 to January 2026. However, the profile made no mention of Flydubai, where an Israeli official stated he had flown for only eight months. The LinkedIn page has since been removed.
Further investigation into al-Hammami’s past revealed that Oman’s national airline reportedly removed him from a previous job last year over concerns about his extremist views. A diplomat from the region corroborated this, stating that Oman Air pulled him from flight training for this reason and reassigned him to a different role within the carrier. Royal Air Maroc also confirmed that al-Hammami trained with them for three months in 2025 as part of a pre-employment process but was not selected for employment.
Academic records also surfaced, with a source at Buckinghamshire New University informing CNN that a man named al-Hammami completed a three-year distance learning course there, graduating in 2023 with an aviation management degree. Crucially, the university source clarified that this program included no pilot training.
The incident has sparked significant confusion and concern within Israel regarding the security protocols for foreign airline crews. Oman does not recognize Israel, adding a layer of geopolitical complexity to the situation. Israeli officials, including the Tax Authority, stated they held the names of every passenger and crew member before takeoff. However, when questions arose about crew vetting, the Tax Authority directed inquiries to the Transportation Ministry.
Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, similarly pointed CNN to the Transportation Ministry, asserting that it is “responsible for all security matters concerning foreign airlines.” In response, a spokesperson for Israel’s Transportation Ministry stated on Saturday night, “The Ministry of Transport’s procedures do not address the threat from a pilot.” This statement has done little to alleviate concerns and instead highlighted a potential gap in security protocols.
Social media activity linked to al-Hammami has also come under scrutiny. Two posts appeared on the LinkedIn page on Wednesday, approximately nine hours after the incident. The first was a video featuring clips filmed in a Boeing 737 Max cockpit, with one clip tracing to Dubai International Airport where the camera zoomed in on an El Al plane. The cockpit screen displayed flight number OMA624 and the date October 11, 2023, a flight number typically associated with the Dubai-to-Muscat route. The video concluded with photos of Ayman al-Zawahiri, former leader of al Qaeda, and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, an al Qaeda loyalist responsible for a 2009 suicide bombing.
The second LinkedIn post featured an AI-generated image of Islam’s three holiest sites – Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem – connected by a glowing trail, accompanied by a poem rejecting humiliation, embracing death, and defending dignity. An Instagram account with the same name and photos also carried both videos around the same time before disappearing.
Further investigation by CNN into nearly 3,000 deleted tweets from al-Hammami’s Twitter account, dating between 2021 and 2022, revealed concerning sentiments. A February 2022 post detailed his mother’s search for a wife who would accept his conditions: wearing a niqab and ending her career after marriage. The post stated, “They all refused. Then my mother told them, ‘My son is a pilot,’ and they all suddenly agreed.” Other posts from January 2022 attacked mixed-gender workplaces, arguing they corrupt women.
Flydubai has declined to comment on the ongoing investigation. CNN has reached out to Oman Air, the Dubai government’s media office, LinkedIn, and Meta for further information. The incident continues to raise critical questions about international aviation security and the vetting of flight crews globally.
