The co-pilot accused of attempting to seize control of an Israel-bound Flydubai aircraft allegedly published violent comments about women and material appearing to praise Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while studying for an aviation degree at a British university.
Hamam al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national, is accused of attacking Captain Smit Machchhar with an emergency crash axe aboard a Flydubai flight travelling to Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
Passengers and crew eventually overpowered the co-pilot and regained control of the aircraft after it reportedly plunged approximately 14,000 feet in just 29 seconds.
Deleted Account Allegedly Contained Threats Against Women
Attention has since turned to al-Hammami’s online history, including a now-deleted account operating under the name “Pilot Hamam al-Hammami” that has been strongly linked to him.
In one reported exchange, the account threatened to stomp on a woman’s head and “make you an example to others” before divorcing her.
Another post appeared to endorse a man striking a woman, describing the violence as a “pre-emptive slap” intended to force her to reconsider her boundaries.
The same post reportedly compared the act to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, claiming Russia had similarly “slapped Ukraine” to alter its borders.
The reported posts were made during a period when al-Hammami was studying remotely at Buckinghamshire New University.
Al-Hammami Graduated From British University in 2023
Al-Hammami completed a three-year distance-learning aviation management degree at Buckinghamshire New University, graduating in 2023.
The university has stressed that his course did not involve pilot training.
Its aviation management programmes instead cover areas such as aviation operations, logistics, security and industry management.
Al-Hammami is also understood to have studied engineering at an Australian university.
Oman Air Reportedly Removed Him From Flying Duties
Questions are also being raised about al-Hammami’s previous employment in the aviation industry.
He reportedly worked with Oman’s national carrier and underwent training in 2024 before concerns emerged that he may have been influenced by radical groups during time spent in Syria, according to officials cited in reports.
He was subsequently removed from flying duties and transferred to an administrative role at Oman Air.
A deleted LinkedIn profile linked to al-Hammami indicated that he spent seven years with Oman Air before leaving in February 2025.
Royal Air Maroc Says Job Application Was Rejected
Al-Hammami later joined Royal Air Maroc in June 2025, according to the LinkedIn profile, before leaving in January 2026.
The Moroccan carrier confirmed that he completed approximately three months of training with the airline during 2025.
However, his subsequent application to work for the company was rejected.
The deleted employment profile reportedly contained no reference to Flydubai, despite al-Hammami allegedly serving as co-pilot aboard the aircraft involved in Wednesday’s incident.
Security Checks Reportedly Focused on Criminal Convictions
The case has raised questions about the vetting conducted before al-Hammami was employed by Flydubai.
A Gulf diplomat reportedly confirmed that the co-pilot underwent standard security checks before being hired.
However, those checks were said to have focused largely on whether he had criminal convictions rather than conducting a deeper examination for potential evidence of radicalisation.
Investigators are now examining al-Hammami’s history as they attempt to determine how he was able to continue working in commercial aviation.
Posts Reportedly Appeared Hours After Attack
Further concerns surround two posts reportedly published to a LinkedIn profile strongly matching al-Hammami’s identity approximately nine hours after the aircraft incident.
One reportedly contained cockpit footage from a Boeing 737 Max and included images of aircraft operated by Israeli airlines.
A clip geolocated to Dubai International Airport allegedly focused on an El Al aircraft.
The cockpit display reportedly showed the flight number OMA624 and a date of October 11, 2023, corresponding to a period when al-Hammami was working for Oman Air.
Other footage reportedly showed additional El Al aircraft and a plane operated by Israeli carrier Arkia.
Al-Qaeda Figures Allegedly Featured in Online Material
The reported video compilation ended with images of two notorious extremist figures.
One was Ayman al-Zawahiri, who became the leader of Al-Qaeda following the death of Osama bin Laden.
Another reportedly showed Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who carried out a 2009 suicide bombing that killed nine people.
A second post allegedly featured an AI-generated image connecting Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem with a glowing trail.
Audio accompanying the image reportedly contained a poem referring to refusing humiliation, showing no fear of death and defending personal dignity.
Authorities have not publicly established who controlled the profile when those posts appeared.
UAE Prosecutors Treat Incident as Attempted Terrorist Attack
Al-Hammami is accused of severely wounding Machchhar as he attempted to take control of the Flydubai aircraft.
The United Arab Emirates prosecutor general has described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.
An Israeli official also alleged that al-Hammami’s social media activity demonstrated exposure to jihadist ideology and included statements concerning the killing of Jews.
UAE investigators are examining whether the suspect acted alone or had connections to an extremist organisation.
Netanyahu Alleges ‘Islamist Radical Indoctrination’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the suspect had undergone what he described as “Islamist radical indoctrination.”
Senior UAE adviser Anwar Gargash separately characterised the incident as a dangerous terrorist act.
Al-Hammami was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE on Thursday and is understood to be cooperating with investigators.
Authorities have yet to announce whether evidence has established an operational connection between the suspect and any extremist organisation.
Passengers and Crew Fought to Regain Control of Aircraft
The alleged attack unfolded while the Flydubai aircraft was travelling toward Tel Aviv.
Al-Hammami is accused of using the cockpit’s crash axe against Captain Machchhar while attempting to seize control of the aircraft.
Passengers and crew members intervened, grappling with the suspect as others worked to stabilise the plane.
Footage recorded aboard the aircraft reportedly showed the wounded captain lying on the floor while passengers attempted to provide assistance.
The aircraft’s reported 14,000-foot descent in just 29 seconds underscored the danger faced by those on board during the struggle.
University Sponsorship Suspension Unrelated to Suspect
Buckinghamshire New University separately announced on the day of the attack that the UK Home Office had suspended its licence to sponsor international students because of concerns surrounding compliance with sponsorship obligations.
The university said many of the matters identified by the Home Office related to historic international student recruitment.
However, the Home Office said the suspension was unrelated to al-Hammami or the Flydubai incident.
There has been no suggestion that al-Hammami’s aviation management degree involved flight training at the institution.
Investigators Examine Whether Suspect Acted Alone
Al-Hammami was born in the United Arab Emirates to a Syrian mother and obtained Omani nationality through his father.
His international background, aviation employment history and reported online activity are now expected to form important parts of the UAE-led investigation.
Authorities are attempting to determine whether Wednesday’s alleged attempt to seize the aircraft was independently planned or involved contact with extremist groups.
The investigation is also likely to intensify scrutiny of aviation security procedures and how potential warning signs are assessed when pilots move between airlines and jurisdictions.
