The short version
- Investigators believe the suspect originally intended to carry out the hijacking in July but delayed the operation, possibly due to a friend being on the crew.
- The co-pilot had previously been removed from flying duties at Oman Air over concerns regarding extremist views, yet flydubai hired him after checking only for criminal records.
- Analysis of the suspect's deleted social media accounts reveals a pattern of misogynistic and homophobic abuse alongside praise for militant figures.
Security agencies in at least six countries are coordinating an investigation into the background and intentions of Hamam al-Hammami, the Flydubai co-pilot who attempted to hijack a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv last week. Investigators believe Hammami originally planned the attack for July but postponed it, potentially because a friend was serving as crew on that earlier date. This delay suggests a level of premeditation that has prompted authorities to examine whether he specifically sought employment with an airline operating routes to Israel to facilitate the assault.
The incident occurred when Hammami allegedly used an emergency crash axe kept in the cockpit to strike Captain Smit Machchhar approximately two hours and twenty minutes after takeoff. The aircraft, carrying more than 180 passengers who were almost entirely Israeli, was en route on a routine flight. Machchhar reported feeling a significant blow to the back of his head shortly after Hammami had left his seat to pray. Despite sustaining injuries, the captain managed to unlock the cockpit security door, allowing passengers to overpower the co-pilot.
A reserve Flydubai pilot traveling as a passenger took control of the aircraft and landed it safely at a regional airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities detained Hammami there before he was transferred to United Arab Emirates custody on Thursday. Israeli media have reported that during interrogations, Hammami stated his intention was to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv or another high-profile target in the vicinity.
A central focus of the international investigation is determining when Hammami began formulating his plan and whether he acted alone. Authorities in New Zealand and Australia are reviewing reports that the Omani national studied in both countries roughly a decade ago. The probe has expanded to include eight nations as agencies work to piece together his movements and associations leading up to the incident.
Hammami’s employment history raises questions about aviation security vetting procedures. He worked for Oman Air from 2018 until June 2025, when he was moved to a desk job due to concerns that he had developed extremist views. He subsequently joined Royal Air Maroc but did not obtain permission to fly and eventually left that position. Flydubai then hired him as the airline expanded its operations, conducting checks for criminal records but not screening for evidence of radicalization.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has characterized Hammami as having undergone radical Islamist indoctrination and being clearly suicidal, though specific details remain undisclosed. Nine hours after the attack, a social media account in Hammami’s name posted praise for Ayman al-Zawahiri, a former Al-Qaida leader, and a militant responsible for a 2009 suicide attack on U.S. troops in Afghanistan. A second post featured religious imagery.
An analysis of Hammami’s deleted X account by Accountability!, a company that uses AI to measure online toxicity, recovered nearly 3,000 posts and responses from internet archives. The review found dozens of misogynistic posts, including public threats against women and repeated use of slurs. Researchers also identified homophobic language directed at men and explicit conditional threats of physical violence, such as imagery involving stomping on a woman’s head.
Gur Megiddo, co-founder and chief executive of Accountability!, stated that the online toxicity served as a warning sign about the pilot’s character. He argued that had authorities monitored these posts, nearly 200 people might have been spared danger. In Israel, the Shin Bet domestic security agency noted that the transportation ministry is responsible for vetting passenger lists from foreign flights, while Transportation Minister Miri Regev stated on X that security agencies handle flight security.
Israeli newspapers reported that a key database of foreign pilots was not checked despite concerns raised in official reports. Regional officials confirmed that Emirati authorities shared information about passengers and crew, including nationalities, with Israel. The investigation continues as authorities seek to understand the full scope of Hammami’s planning and the systemic failures that allowed him to reach the cockpit.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- The Guardian World↗Flydubai co-pilot originally planned attack for July, investigators believe
