Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, is the co-pilot suspected of stabbing Captain Smit Machchhar with a knife on a FlyDubai flight bound for Israel, according to sources. He was overpowered by crew and passengers after the attack.
Attack and Investigation
The alleged attack took place on Wednesday morning on the flight carrying 182 people. Officials said the co-pilot nearly crashed the sharply plummeting plane. The captain, badly injured, said he used his remaining energy while being stabbed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing others to enter, tackle the co-pilot, and stabilise the aircraft. The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
A Gulf diplomat said investigations are under way to establish whether al-Hammami acted as a “lone wolf or has any connection with any extremist groups.”
Background and Hiring
A person familiar with the matter said al-Hammami was barred from flying by Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views. He was then hired by the UAE-based airline FlyDubai. It was not immediately clear to what extent he was vetted when hired. Oman’s barring of him was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
How the co-pilot managed to be working in the cockpit is a central question for investigators. Israel says it has long-standing agreements with foreign carriers to keep pilots from flying into the country if they are citizens of nations that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic relations.
Reactions and Next Steps
On Friday, UAE senior diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash called the attack a “dangerous terrorist act” in a post on X. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalisation,” but provided no evidence.
There was no immediate comment from FlyDubai, the UAE government, or Oman Air. Oman’s government has said nothing publicly in response to repeated questions since the incident. Investigators have not publicly identified the object used to stab the captain or said whether it was carried onto the plane or came from inside the aircraft.
Both the captain and the co-pilot were later taken to the UAE as it leads the investigation. Officials have said a number of countries, including Israel, are participating. The incident is a test for the UAE government, which has earned a reputation for effective measures against extremist activities but has also bristled in the past over criticism of security lapses. Little else was immediately known about the co-pilot’s background; his Instagram account was active until the day of the flight and then deleted.
