Security questions are mounting over how flydubai co-pilot Hamam Alhamami was cleared to fly after reports that Oman Air had previously barred him from cockpit duties over concerns about extremist views.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi/ October 3: Questions are mounting over how the flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar and attempting to interfere with the controls of a Dubai–Tel Aviv flight was cleared to fly after reportedly being barred from the cockpit by his previous employer in Oman over concerns about extremist views.
The co-pilot has been identified by The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Al Arabiya English and other outlets as Hamam Alhamami, an Omani citizen born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and Syrian mother. He is reported to be about 29.
According to reports, Alhamami was training as a co-pilot with Oman Air in 2024 when he was flagged over extremist material or radical views. He was subsequently kept by the airline in a non-flying position but was not permitted to serve in the cockpit because of security concerns.
He later joined Dubai-based flydubai and was assigned to the UAE–Israel route. Israeli officials have said their security agencies, including Shin Bet and Mossad, are examining how he was cleared to fly the route. Oman does not recognise Israel.
CNN reported that a now-deleted LinkedIn profile in Alhamami’s name, which a source confirmed belonged to him, showed about seven years at Oman Air, ending in February 2025. It listed subsequent employment with Royal Air Maroc from June 2025 to January 2026, followed by flydubai, where he had reportedly worked for only about eight months.
THE COPILOT WHO STABBED HIS CAPTAIN ON THAT FLYDUBAI FLIGHT BEGGED THE CREW TO KILL HIM AFTER THEY TOOK HIM DOWN.
Netanyahu says that request makes it clear the man was suicidal and fully intended to put that plane into the ground.
Passengers watched the desert rushing up at… pic.twitter.com/cIovgVtonE
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) October 1, 2026
CNN also reported that deleted social-media accounts linked to the name contained material described as religious and misogynistic. Among the posts were cockpit footage that appeared to focus on an El Al aircraft and images associated with al-Qaeda figures Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who carried out a 2009 suicide bombing in Afghanistan that killed CIA personnel.
Another post was described as an AI-generated image showing Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem alongside verses about rejecting humiliation and not fearing death.
The social-media material has not been independently authenticated publicly, and the investigation remains ongoing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the suspect underwent Islamist radicalisation and that authorities are examining whether he was acting under the direction of others.
The incident occurred on September 30 aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with about 174 passengers and crew. Most of the passengers were Israelis, including children.
At an altitude of about 34,000 feet, the aircraft suddenly began a steep descent. Tracking data and official accounts indicated that it lost roughly 14,000 feet in less than a minute.
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According to accounts of the incident, Alhamami attacked Captain Machchhar with a knife and interfered with the aircraft’s controls. Despite being wounded, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing crew members and passengers to enter and overpower the attacker.
Passenger Yaniv Hayoun helped restrain the co-pilot, while a dentist on board treated the injured captain. Two relief pilots who had been travelling in the cabin then entered the cockpit, took control of the aircraft and diverted it to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
Machchhar and the co-pilot were subsequently transferred to the UAE. Machchhar is recovering in Abu Dhabi and has spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the incident.
Netanyahu and Indian officials have praised Machchhar for opening the cockpit door despite his injuries. Passengers and crew members have said the decision enabled them to enter the cockpit, restrain the attacker and help prevent the aircraft from being lost.
ockpit duties over concerns about extremist views.
