Hamam al-Hammami

Hamam al-Hammami
همام الهمامي
Born	Hamam al-Hammami c. 1997 United Arab Emirates
Nationality	Omani
Citizenship	Oman
Education	Buckinghamshire New University (aviation management, 2023)
Occupation	Airline pilot (former co-pilot)
Years active	2018–2026
Employer	Flydubai (2026)
Known for	Perpetrator of the Flydubai Flight 1073 cockpit attack
Criminal charge(s)	Terrorism-related offenses (under investigation in the UAE; potential death penalty)
Criminal status	In custody
Parent(s)	Omani father, Syrian mother

Hamam al-Hammami (Arabic: هَمَّام الهمّامي; born c. 1997) is an Omani national and former commercial airline pilot who was the co-pilot on Flydubai Flight 1073 on 30 September 2026. He attacked the flight's captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, inside the cockpit with a crash axe in an attempt to take control of the aircraft and crash it in Israel. The incident, which occurred on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, resulted in an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and has been officially designated by UAE authorities as an attempted "terrorist attack."

During interrogation by Emirati investigators, al-Hammami confessed that he intended to deliberately crash the aircraft and stated that he was "not afraid of death." He also told investigators that he acted "in revenge for Gaza" and wanted to "die as a martyr." He revealed that he had planned the operation long before being hired by Flydubai, telling interrogators: "I tried to get hired by all the airlines. I planned the operation even before I was accepted by the company. The dream was to crash into Ben Gurion Airport." He also stated: "I looked into which airline flies to Tel Aviv. That's why I chose flydubai. I planned it even before I was accepted."

Early life and education

Al-Hammami was born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and a Syrian mother, and he spent several years of his life in the UAE. He held only Omani citizenship and did not possess a second nationality. According to a regional official, how he obtained Omani nationality was not immediately clear.

He completed a three-year distance-learning course in aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University in England, graduating in 2023. The university confirmed that a man with the same name completed the course but did not take any pilot training there.

Aviation career

Oman Air

Al-Hammami worked at Oman Air, Oman's national carrier, for approximately seven years, leaving in February 2025. During his time there, he was a co-pilot trainee. In 2024, he was removed from flight training after concerns arose about his alleged radical views, and he was subsequently assigned an administrative role within the airline. According to The Wall Street Journal, he was subsequently sent through a deradicalisation programme and assigned to a desk job.

According to CBS News, citing sources, concerns over al-Hammami surfaced while he was undergoing pilot training with Oman Air. Omani government surveillance allegedly detected that he had visited radical websites. Fox News, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that Oman Air grounded him in 2024 after discovering that he had been visiting radical Islamic websites. The Wall Street Journal separately reported that Oman had banned him from flying over concerns that he had adopted radical ideological views.

According to ABC News, citing intelligence and law-enforcement officials, extremist material was found in his possession while he was a trainee co-pilot in 2024. One source told CBS News that al-Hammami later resigned after being shifted to desk duties.

Royal Air Maroc

After leaving Oman Air, al-Hammami joined Royal Air Maroc, Morocco's national carrier, in June 2025. He departed from the airline in January 2026, according to a now-deleted LinkedIn profile bearing his name. One source confirmed that the profile belonged to the Flydubai pilot in the 30 September incident. Royal Air Maroc has reportedly said he underwent only theoretical training there and did not fly for the airline.

Flydubai

Al-Hammami was hired by Flydubai, a Dubai-based low-cost carrier, and had been working there for approximately eight months before the incident. An Israeli official confirmed his tenure with the airline to CNN. According to The Wall Street Journal, he was hired by Flydubai in February 2026.

His hiring by Flydubai despite the earlier security concerns at Oman Air has raised significant questions about background checks and the sharing of security information between airlines and countries. The Wall Street Journal reported that it was not clear whether Oman had shared information about its concerns with the UAE or Flydubai. Sources cited by CBS News said no formal background check involving the Omani government was carried out before his employment with Flydubai. According to a Jerusalem Post report, Flydubai has an explicit clause stating that all its pilots must be from countries that have normalised relations with Israel; Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Flydubai Flight 1073 incident

Main article: Flydubai Flight 1073

On 30 September 2026, al-Hammami was serving as co-pilot on Flydubai Flight 1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying from Dubai International Airport to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport with more than 170 passengers and crew on board, including four pilots. During the flight, he attacked Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit with a crash axe, a tool typically kept in the cockpit for use during emergencies such as crashes. The crash axe is primarily used to break open the cockpit door if it gets jammed after a crash. The attack caused the aircraft to enter a steep descent, dropping approximately 16,625 feet (5,200 metres) in just over 30 seconds while flying over Saudi Arabia. A hijacking distress signal was transmitted during the struggle.

Despite his injuries, Captain Machchhar fought back and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and restrain al-Hammami. The captain was badly wounded and repeatedly stabbed but used his remaining energy to unlock the cockpit door. A reserve Flydubai pilot travelling on the flight took control of the aircraft and landed it safely at Tabuk Regional Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia, where al-Hammami was detained by Saudi authorities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said that after the attacker was subdued, he called out "Kill me, kill me!", indicating suicidal intent.

According to a timeline reported by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, al-Hammami had requested a prayer break shortly before attacking Machchhar.

Alleged radicalization and motives

Extremist materials and online activity

According to Israel's Channel 12, investigators believe al-Hammami had undergone a process of indoctrination into "al-Qaeda's ideology" and had met unspecified religious figures during his radicalization. The reported period he spent in Syria is also being examined as part of that history.

Two posts appeared on a LinkedIn profile bearing his name approximately nine hours after the incident. The first post featured clips filmed in the cockpits of Boeing 737 Max aircraft, including footage geolocated to Dubai International Airport showing an El Al aircraft. The video ended with photos of Ayman al-Zawahiri, who led al-Qaeda after the death of Osama bin Laden, and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, a Jordanian double agent who killed seven CIA officers in a 2009 suicide bombing. The second post was an AI-generated image of Islam's three holiest sites, accompanied by a poem about rejecting humiliation and not fearing death. The same videos were also posted around the same time to an Instagram account bearing al-Hammami's name and photographs; that account was later deleted. A second post featured an AI-generated image of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem, Islam's three holiest sites, accompanied by a poem about rejecting humiliation, not fearing death and defending one's dignity.

CNN analysed nearly 3,000 deleted Twitter posts attributed to al-Hammami, primarily from 2021 to 2022, which showed frequent references to religious issues and strict views about women. In a 2022 post, he stated that his mother had difficulty finding a wife for him because he required his future wife to wear a niqab and quit working after marriage. Other posts criticized mixed-gender work environments. One 2022 post said: "How many respectable, religious girls have been ruined in mixed-gender work environments and manipulated?" The posts reflected strongly religious and misogynistic views. In a December 2021 post, he reportedly wrote that he had created a fake account posing as Syrian or Lebanese and contacted Saudi women, expressing surprise that some women sent him their photographs. In another post, he reportedly said he had rejected the idea of his wife working, writing: "I have a rule that my wife doesn't work."

Time in Syria

Al Arabiya English reported that al-Hammami spent much of his time outside Oman, particularly in Syria, where he was allegedly influenced by extremist ideas before moving to the UAE. This period is being examined as part of the investigation into his radicalization. i24NEWS, citing an Emirati source, reported that leaflets and publications associated with "Free Palestine" groups, along with other pro-Palestinian material, were found among his belongings, and that he had repeatedly expressed support for Palestinians and hostility towards Israel. The presence of political material, by itself, does not establish involvement in terrorism. Born to an Omani father and Syrian mother, al-Hammami spent part of his youth in Syria during the country's civil war, and investigators are examining whether he began to radicalise while there, when Islamist rebels were fighting Bashar al-Assad's government.

Stated intent

According to ABC News, citing sources familiar with the investigation, al-Hammami has cooperated with investigators and stated that he intended to crash the aircraft in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the suspect was believed to have undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination" and appeared suicidal, though he said a motive had not yet been established. Israel's i24NEWS, citing sources briefed on the investigation, reported that the co-pilot told investigators he intended to crash the aircraft in Israel, a plan that had it succeeded could have resulted in a "9/11-like tragedy." Netanyahu told Fox News: "As time passes, the picture becomes clearer: the attacker had undergone Islamist radicalization. He came to crash the plane, along with its passengers." Netanyahu's spokesman, Doron Spielman, told NBC News that the alleged attacker "talks on his social media about killing Jews."

According to two Israeli officials familiar with the investigation, al-Hammami told UAE interrogators that he had already considered crashing a Flydubai aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport before he was employed by the Dubai-owned carrier. He reportedly told investigators he planned to continue Flight 1073 as normal after disposing of the captain, receive landing clearances and then crash into a building or jet at the airport. He reportedly waited until the aircraft was over Jordan to seize the cockpit to avoid raising alarm. Israeli news outlet Ynet reported that al-Hammami had also planned to crash into a US military air base in Jordan if he was unable to reach Israel. He had allegedly intended to carry out the attack in July but abandoned the plan at the eleventh hour because he was friendly with one of the crew members.

Stated motive

Channel 12, cited by The Times of Israel and other Israeli media, reported that al-Hammami told interrogators he had acted "in revenge for Gaza" and wanted to "die as a martyr." The account, if confirmed, would add a political and ideological motive to an incident that initially appeared to involve a sudden cockpit struggle. It would also fit with the UAE prosecutor general's earlier description of the incident as a terrorist attack.

Investigation

UAE-led probe

The United Arab Emirates attorney-general ordered the formation of an investigation team to probe the incident, including whether it was linked to terrorist activity, prior planning, or direction from others. UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi stated that investigations into the incident found that the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a "terrorist attack," and that the co-pilot attacked the pilot inside the cockpit with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft. Emirati judicial authorities asserted jurisdiction because the aircraft is registered in the UAE and flies under its flag.

A Gulf diplomat told the Associated Press that investigations are underway to establish whether al-Hammami acted as a "lone wolf or has any connection with any extremist groups." Al Shamsi said investigations were ongoing to "establish the full circumstances, motives, and any links related to the incident."

Israeli Shin Bet interrogators have travelled to the United Arab Emirates and are participating in questioning al-Hammami, according to The Times of Israel. The Shin Bet has not publicly commented on the investigation. Channel 12 reported that a Mossad official told Israeli Cabinet ministers that al-Hammami had made brief visits to several countries considered hostile to Israel in recent years.

An Emirati source was quoted as saying al-Hammami is expected to face the death penalty, with Abu Dhabi seeking the harshest possible punishment. The UAE has described the incident as a terrorist attack.

Transfer of custody

Al-Hammami was initially detained and questioned by Saudi authorities after the emergency landing in Tabuk. Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry confirmed that the diversion was caused by the co-pilot attacking the captain. After both pilots received medical clearance, they were flown to Abu Dhabi accompanied by Emirati security personnel. The captain and co-pilot left Saudi Arabia for Abu Dhabi on Thursday morning, the Saudi Interior Ministry said.

Saudi Arabia subsequently handed over al-Hammami to the UAE, where he faces a terrorism investigation. Israeli investigators were expected to question him as part of the UAE-led probe. An Israeli government official told Reuters that Israeli investigators would take part alongside Emirati authorities in the UAE-led investigation, seeking to determine what happened and examine the suspect's motives and background. Israeli Government Spokesman David Mencer said Friday that Israeli investigators would "join their Emirati counterparts in investigating this attempted mass murder and establishing precisely what happened, his motives and background."

Questions over security clearance

The incident has raised significant questions about how al-Hammami was able to secure employment with Flydubai and be assigned to a flight to Israel despite the earlier security concerns at Oman Air. Israeli agencies, including Shin Bet and Mossad, are investigating how an Omani citizen from a country that does not recognise Israel became part of the crew on a Tel Aviv-bound flight.

Shin Bet chief David Zini had reportedly warned for months that security arrangements on flights arriving from the UAE were insufficient. The agency had been involved in a dispute with Israeli airlines over security measures on UAE routes in the weeks preceding the incident.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel was looking into whether the co-pilot had acted under anyone's direction, warning that anyone involved would pay a "heavy price." He said: "We are investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price." Israel does not have official diplomatic relations with Oman, and Netanyahu has said pilots from such countries were not permitted to operate flights to Israel. It was not clear how the co-pilot came to be assigned to the flight to Tel Aviv.

Weapon question

A key element of the investigation is the use of a crash axe in the attack. A crash axe is typically kept in the cockpit for use during emergencies such as crashes. It is primarily used to break open the cockpit door if it gets jammed after a crash. Under post-9/11 aviation security rules, bladed instruments are tightly controlled in carry-on baggage and generally not permitted in the cockpit; however, the crash axe is a standard emergency tool stored in the cockpit itself.

Australian links

Australian authorities have confirmed an investigation into al-Hammami's links to Australia. The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (VIC JCTT), comprising the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and ASIO, is investigating. According to reports, al-Hammami was granted an Australian student visa in 2014 and began studying at an Australian university the following year. He reportedly left Australia in 2017, with sources saying his visa was cancelled in 2019 after authorities determined he was no longer enrolled in a university course. He reportedly studied an engineering degree in Melbourne between 2015 and 2017.

Iran link probe

Investigators are examining whether al-Hammami had any connections to Iran or other external organizations. While early Israeli assessments have pointed towards a lone-actor attack, investigators are continuing to examine his background and contacts. US President Donald Trump stated he "personally believes" Iran was responsible for the foiled attempt, though he did not provide evidence.

Statements and confessions

During interrogation by Emirati and Saudi investigators, al-Hammami made several admissions about his intentions and the planning of the attack. An Israeli intelligence source provided The Jerusalem Post with a transcript of the interview, which read:

“I tried to get hired by all the airlines. I planned the operation even before I was accepted by the company. The dream was to crash into Ben Gurion Airport.”

— Hamam al-Hammami, October 2026

According to Channel 13, cited by The Times of Israel, al-Hammami also told investigators:

“I looked into which airline flies to Tel Aviv. That's why I chose flydubai. I planned it even before I was accepted.”

— Hamam al-Hammami, October 2026

A Saudi official briefed on his interrogation told The Wall Street Journal that al-Hammami acknowledged his intention to deliberately crash the aircraft and stated that he was "not afraid of death."

Channel 12 cited by the Times of Israel reported that al-Hammami told interrogators:

“I did this as revenge for Gaza. I wanted to die as a martyr.”

— Hamam al-Hammami, October 2026

Al-Hammami also reportedly told investigators that he intended to continue Flight 1073 as normal after disposing of the captain, receive landing clearances, and then crash into a building or jet at Ben Gurion Airport. He reportedly waited until the aircraft was over Jordan to seize control of the cockpit to avoid raising alarm. Ynet reported that if he was unable to reach Israel, he had also planned to crash into a US military air base in Jordan. He had allegedly intended to carry out the attack in July 2026 but abandoned the plan at the last moment because a friend was among the crew members.

Legal proceedings

As of October 2026, al-Hammami was in UAE custody and facing a terrorism investigation. He had not been formally charged, and no court had ruled on the allegations against him. UAE authorities stated that their investigation would examine the circumstances and motives behind the attack, including whether it involved terrorist activity, prior planning, or direction from others. The UAE attorney general has opened an investigation into whether the attack was connected to terrorist activity and whether it involved advance planning or outside direction, according to the state news agency WAM. Flydubai Chief Executive Ghaith Al Ghaith said on Friday that authorities were conducting an official investigation, supported by the airline, after what he described as a "safety incident" in the cockpit. "It is important that we allow this process to establish the facts," he said in a written statement, acknowledging that there were "many questions" about what happened on flight FZ1073.

Aftermath and reactions

Reactions

UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash described the incident as a "terrorist act," praising Captain Smit Machchhar for showing "courage and responsibility" in the face of what he called a "dangerous terrorist act." Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described it as a "jihadist terrorist attack" and said the suspect intended to crash the aircraft.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would "get to the root of this attacker" and that investigators would seek to determine the circumstances behind the incident and whether there was any wider involvement. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Thursday that the alarm was raised onboard by an Israeli woman, Tali Manes, who heard a commotion coming from the cockpit. Her husband, Zvika, along with three other men Yaniv Hayun, Dr Shota Musayev and Asaf Rajuan entered the cockpit and helped subdue the attacker.

US President Donald Trump, when asked if he believed Iran was behind the attempted hijacking, stated: "I do. I personally do."

Captain's recovery

Captain Smit Machchhar was initially taken to a hospital in Tabuk and later airlifted to Abu Dhabi for further treatment. India's embassy in the UAE said he was "in good health and recovering well." Indian Ambassador to the UAE Dr Deepak Mittal met Machchhar in the hospital and said the pilot was receiving good medical care and that the embassy remained in continuous contact with UAE authorities. Machchhar told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video call that he had been flying for 17 years and had served as a captain for 11 years. He said: "When I was on the floor, I could sense that the aircraft was going down, and then I told myself, 'Smit, give a last push. Door is there.' I was getting stabbed at that point as well, but I opened the door, and others came inside."

Aviation security implications

The incident has prompted scrutiny of aviation security procedures, particularly regarding background checks for pilots and the sharing of security information between airlines and countries. The revelations about al-Hammami's earlier removal from flight training at Oman Air over extremist concerns have raised questions about how he was subsequently hired by Flydubai and cleared to operate an international route between the UAE and Israel. Officials in the UAE claimed they had shared a list of passengers and crew with Israel ahead of the FlyDubai flight, naming al-Hammami. However, the Shin Bet security agency claimed Israel's Transport ministry was responsible for vetting crew lists from foreign flights, while Transport minister Miri Regev rejected this, saying her department had not received a list or any warnings.

See also

• Flydubai Flight 1073
• Smit Machchhar
• Terrorism in aviation