Police and security agencies across multiple countries are working to uncover the background and intentions of Hamam al-Hammami, the co-pilot who attempted to hijack a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv last week. Investigators believe that Hammami, 29, initially planned his attack for July but postponed it, possibly due to a friend being part of the crew.
Background of the Incident
Evidence suggests that Hammami may have sought employment with an airline that flew to Israel specifically to carry out the attack on flydubai flight FZ1073. The flight was carrying over 180 passengers, predominantly Israeli, when Hammami allegedly used an emergency crash axe from the cockpit to launch a surprise attack on the pilot approximately two hours and twenty minutes after takeoff.
Attack Details
The flight's captain, Smit Machchhar, reported that shortly after Hammami left his seat to pray, he felt a "big blow" to the back of his head. In a conversation with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Machchhar recounted:
“"The blows kept coming … That’s when I realised that it’s not the aircraft, it’s the other guy who was in the cockpit with me."
Despite sustaining injuries, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit's security door, allowing passengers to overpower Hammami. A reserve flydubai pilot, who was also on board, took control of the aircraft and successfully landed it at a regional airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where Hammami was detained.
Ongoing Investigations
The investigation into Hammami has expanded to more than eight countries. Authorities in New Zealand and Australia are looking into reports that he studied in both nations about a decade ago. Hammami, who has an Omani father and a Syrian mother, was previously employed by Oman Air until June 2025 but left after being reassigned to a desk job due to concerns about his extremist views. He later worked for Royal Air Maroc but did not obtain the necessary permissions to fly.
