Hamam al-Hammami, the pilot suspected of attempting to seize control of a Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight, was previously removed from a position at Oman’s national airline following concerns regarding his extremist perspectives. Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed that al-Hammami, an Omani citizen born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and Syrian mother, had been reassigned from flight training at his previous employer due to these radical views. The page made no mention of Flydubai. The revelations will raise concerns about the importance of background checks in aviation hiring. In one clip, which geolocated to Dubai International Airport, the person filming zooms in on a plane that belongs to the Israeli airline El Al.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Thursday that the suspect is believed to have undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination.” An Israeli official indicated that al-Hammami had been employed by Flydubai for approximately eight months at the time of the incident, while other sources noted his prior service with Royal Air Maroc. The United Arab Emirates attorney general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, stated that the pilot attempted a “terrorist act” by attacking a colleague with a crash axe inside the cockpit. Because the aircraft is registered in the UAE, local authorities maintain jurisdiction over the investigation, with Israel participating in the interrogation process following the flight’s diversion to Saudi Arabia. The first post featured a series of clips filmed in the cockpits of a Boeing 737 Max aircraft. The aircraft that diverted to Saudi Arabia in Wednesday’s incident was a Flydubai 737 Max 8.
Employment and Academic History
- Oman Air: Worked for seven years before departing in February 2025.
- Royal Air Maroc: Employed from June 2025 until January 2026.
- Educational Background: Completed a three-year distance learning degree in aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University, graduating in 2023.
Investigation into al-Hammami’s digital footprint revealed nearly 3,000 deleted tweets posted between 2021 and 2022, which were processed using an AI-powered semantic search model. These posts reflected deeply religious and misogynistic views, including railing against mixed-gender work environments and documenting personal difficulties in finding a spouse who would adhere to strict requirements, such as wearing a niqab. The profile has since been deleted and has reached out to LinkedIn for comment. And both were published in quick succession on Wednesday, about nine hours after the incident, only two posts were made to the LinkedIn profile. It is unclear who published the posts or whether they were scheduled in advance.
Social Media and Content Findings
- Cockpit Videos: LinkedIn posts from October 2023 included footage from a Boeing 737 Max cockpit, capturing images of Israeli aircraft at Dubai International Airport.
- Radical Imagery: A video clip concluded with photos of Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, a suicide bomber affiliated with al-Qaeda.
- Thematic Content: An AI-generated image depicted a glowing trail connecting holy sites in Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, accompanied by a poem rejecting the fear of death.
The incident has prompted investigations by several Israeli agencies, including Shin Bet, Mossad, the military, and the Transportation Ministry, specifically focusing on how the pilot secured a position on a flight to Tel Aviv despite Oman’s lack of diplomatic recognition of Israel. Flydubai has declined to comment while the investigation remains active, and outreach to Oman Air, Royal Air Maroc, and relevant media offices is ongoing.
