Who Is Hamam Al Hammami? FlyDubai Co-Pilot Alleged Attacker ID’d: Reports - Newsweek
The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of a FlyDubai flight bound for Israel on Wednesday has been identified as 29-year-old Hamam Al Hammami, an Omani national who was previously barred from flying over concerns he had adopted extremist views, according to multiple media reports published Friday.
Al Hammami was born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and Syrian mother, according to reports. ABC, citing senior intelligence and law enforcement officials, reported that he had previously been suspended from flying by Oman Air after being identified as a "security risk" because of his extremist views.
He was later hired by the United Arab Emirates-based airline, where within months he allegedly attacked the captain in the cockpit, forcing the aircraft to divert and raising questions about aviation security in the Middle East.
Officials are trying to determine how the suspect was permitted to fly for FlyDubai and how he came to serve as first officer on a flight bound for Israel, according to ABC News. While training as a co-pilot for Oman Air in 2024, the suspect was allegedly found in possession of extremist materials and subsequently moved into an administrative role, the outlet reported.
Newsweek has not independently verified those claims.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization,” but has provided no evidence to back the assertion.
“We are now investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price,” Netanyahu said in a video message on Friday.
The attack occurred on Wednesday aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft ultimately landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after passengers and crew helped restrain the assault on the captain.
Smit Machchhar, the wounded captain who has been hailed as one of the heroes of the flight, and the co-pilot were transferred on Thursday from Saudi Arabia to the UAE, the kingdom said.
Machchhar is recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital. He spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised video call Friday, describing the terror he faced after being attacked in the closed cockpit.
According to reports, the captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and restrain the attacker as the Boeing 737—with 174 passengers and eight crew members, most of them Israelis—descended sharply.
Passengers then purportedly wrestled the co-pilot from the cockpit and onto the floor of the main cabin where they bound his hands with headphones. They laid the wounded pilot inches from him, and a dentist attended to his wounds. Daniel Schlichter and a dentist, Dr. Shota Musayev, both said there was no visible knife or other weapon at the front of the aircraft.
“I had so many wounds. I had fallen down,” Machchhar said, his head bandaged, as he broke into sobs. “I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realized that if I didn’t get up … then passengers would lose their lives.”
The suspect was later transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE and is cooperating with investigators. ABC News also reported, citing sources briefed on the investigation, that the suspect indicated his intent was to crash the aircraft in Israel. Newsweek has not independently confirmed that allegation.
The attack has disrupted travel between Israel and the UAE. Emirates flights to Israel were canceled following the attack, prompting repatriation efforts for stranded travelers. Israel and the UAE approved special flights to transport passengers between the countries while commercial operations remain suspended. The route has become one of the most prominent symbols of regional normalization since the 2020 Abraham Accords between Israel and the UAE.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Anna Commander and Edward T. Cummins
