Who is ‘Hamam al Hamami’? What we know about the second FlyDubai pilot who stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar and tried to crash the plane | Today’s news
Who was the FlyDubai co-pilot who stabbed pilot Captain Smit Machchar and allegedly tried to crash the plane earlier this week? Why did he make this violent attempt? Several reports surfaced sharing details of the incident and the accused. Here’s what we know so far:
The incident occurred on Wednesday when the co-pilot of a Flydubai flight – flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv – allegedly stabbed the flight captain, an Indian pilot, and tried to crash the plane.
The captain was able to fend off the co-pilot long enough to unlock the cockpit door. The passengers then overpowered the co-pilot and the two off-duty pilots who were on the flight managed to gain control of the aircraft and make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Who was the co-pilot of FlyDubai?
Quick answers to key questions
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Hamam al Hamami is an Omani national who served as co-pilot on FlyDubai flight FZ1073. He allegedly stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar and tried to crash the plane during his trip from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Hamam al Hamami’s motivations remain unclear, but Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu suggested he had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination and that the incident appeared to involve suicidal intent.
After Hamam al Hamami stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar, passengers quickly intervened and overpowered him while two off-duty pilots helped stabilize the plane to facilitate an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Al Hamami, who worked for Oman Air before being transferred due to extremism concerns, has spent considerable time outside Oman and is said to have developed radical views that have been flagged by the Omani government.
The incident ended without further casualties when the plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia after passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot, averting a potential disaster.
The co-pilot of the flight has not yet been publicly identified, although several sources familiar with the CBS News investigation said Friday that his name is Hamam al Hamami.
According to the report, Al Hamami is a citizen of Oman but was not born in Oman. According to sources who revealed that his mother is Syrian and his father is Omani, he has lived most of his life outside of Oman.
Al Hamami worked briefly for Oman Air where he entered new pilot training. Omani government surveillance found him visiting radical websites, sources said. Oman Air then transferred him to an office job.
One of the sources told CBS News that the pilot resigned from his job at Oman Air after being placed on duty. He left the airline around 2024, the report added.
However, CNN reported that the Omani co-pilot was dismissed from his previous job with Oman’s national airline last year due to concerns about his extremist views.
A regional diplomatic source familiar with the matter told CNN that the suspect was removed from training due to concerns that he had radical views, but was subsequently given a different role at the airline.
Citing sources, it further said that the Omani co-pilot spent most of his time outside the country, particularly in Syria, where he was influenced by extremist ideas before traveling to the UAE.
Sources said al Hamami posted a video of El Al Israeli Airlines planes in Dubai with a photo at the end of the clip showing Ayman al-Zawahiri, a known al-Qaeda leader who was killed in a 2022 US drone strike.
Al Hamami moved to Dubai and was hired by FlyDubai without vetting him with the Omani government, sources told CBS News.
The Omani government has not publicly confirmed his nationality.
Sources said it was possible he had dual citizenship, as this could explain how he was allowed to fly to Israel.
After the incident on the FlyDubai flight, the co-pilot was banned from flying in his native Oman for safety reasons, a source told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Why did the co-pilot move violently in the plane?
The co-pilot’s motive in the alleged attack remains unknown.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “As time passes, the picture becomes clearer; the attacker went through Islamist radicalization. He came to crash the plane with passengers.”
“We are looking into whether it was sent and whoever sent it will pay a very high price,” he added.
Netanyahu told CBS News on Wednesday that the incident looked “like a suicide attempt,” citing witnesses who said the co-pilot tried to jam the plane’s equipment instead of stabilizing the plane.
After the passengers overpowered the co-pilot, he screamed for someone to kill him, Netanyahu told Fox News on Thursday.
Meanwhile, US President Trump suggested on Thursday that the second pilot may be linked to Iran, “based on what I’m hearing”.
“We are working on it right now,” Mr. Trump said. “They’re very open to us. I’d say based on what I’m hearing, the answer is yes. But that’s what we’re working on.”
