Co-pilot in FlyDubai incident is identified as Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami
Passengers and two off-duty pilots helped regain control after the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and sent the aircraft into a sudden dive.
- On September 30, Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami attacked Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit of a Tel Aviv-bound flight, forcing the aircraft to plunge around 16,000 feet before an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- Citing a "terrorist attack," the United Arab Emirates reported that al-Hammami used a crash axe to seize control, prompting passengers and crew to subdue him before the plane stabilized.
- Oman Air had previously barred al-Hammami from flying over extremist views, according to multiple sources; Flydubai subsequently hired him anyway, intensifying scrutiny over vetting protocols.
- Captain Machchhar is recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital following severe injuries sustained during the assault, while Flydubai temporarily suspended all operations to Tel Aviv.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the incident resulted from "Islamist radicalization" and identified a "loophole" in screening protocols, as intelligence agencies investigate whether al-Hammami acted alone or had extremist connections.
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Hammam al-Hamami, 29, who was arrested in Abu Dhabi after an alleged attempt to hijack a Flydubai plane, had posted messages calling for violence against women and supporting harsh religious punishments. The Daily Telegraph reported the case, which was reported by the Bulgarian National Radio. Al-Hamami is an Omani citizen and was a co-pilot. In social media posts made during his training, he said women should be “stomped underfoot” and endorsed…
The Israeli Prime Minister invited the Indian pilot as a guest of honor. Also, the person responsible for the security of OpenAI resigned.
Hammam al-Hammami, 29, is suspected of stabbing the captain and attempting to crash the plane with 174 passengers on board. Hours later, a radical post was published on his LinkedIn account. Then everything was deleted.
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