The co-pilot accused of attempting to crash an Israel-bound FlyDubai aircraft completed a distance-learning aviation management course at a UK university, not pilot training.
Omani national Hamam al Hammami has been identified as the co-pilot who assaulted the flight's captain using the cockpit's crash axe, according to the Associated Press. It has now been verified that al Hammami completed a distance-learning programme in aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University.
University statement on al Hammami
In a statement, a spokesman for the university said: "Our thoughts are with the injured pilot, crew and passengers involved in this incident. Hamam al Hammami previously completed a distance-learning course in aviation management. He did not undertake any pilot training at the University."
According to the university's website, its aviation management programmes "look into the background operations, logistics, security and management of the aviation industry".
Passengers overpower alleged assailant
Passengers and crew overpowered the alleged assailant as the aircraft plummeted from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet (10,000 metres to 5,100 metres) in approximately one minute. The plane, travelling from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv carrying 182 people, was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The co-pilot, who officials said nearly brought down the aircraft, had been prohibited from flying by Oman over concerns he had embraced extremist views, according to reports. Investigators are striving to determine whether al Hammami acted independently, or if he has ties with any extremist factions.
Attack labelled 'dangerous terrorist act'
In a post on X, Anwar Gargash, senior adviser from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), labelled Wednesday's attack "a dangerous terrorist act".
The development comes after a six-year-old girl and her mother claimed to sound the alarm during the attempted hijacking. Nina Manes, alongside her mother Tali, six, and father Tzika, was aboard the aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Tali then detected suspicious sounds emanating from the cockpit. "There was blood all over the cockpit and very, very sharp fighting moves," she told Israeli Channel 12. "I screamed, 'He is stabbing the pilot, he is stabbing the pilot, come help!' People looked at me and didn't understand."
Nina's father, Tzvika, then dashed to collect his daughter from the lavatory. He said: "The shrieks of my daughters when the plane nosedived [are still with me]. They said, 'Dad we don't want to die.' [Their cries] were the triggers that caused me to run inside the cockpit."
