Flydubai co-pilot attacked pilot with axe, attempted 'terrorist attack', UAE says

A suspected terrorist, identified as Omani pilot Hamam al-Hammami, was removed from his previous job at Oman's national airline last year due to concerns over his extremist views, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The suspect, who worked for Flydubai for only eight months, allegedly underwent "Islamist radical indoctrination" as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed. Upon his removal, he was transferred to a different role at Oman's national airline.

Al-Hammami, born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother, had worked at Oman Air for seven years before joining Royal Air Maroc and later Flydubai. He has a LinkedIn profile that includes videos of cockpit screens from various Israeli airlines, including a clip featuring the El Al flight number OMA624 from Dubai to Muscat. The video also includes images of Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, both associated with al Qaeda.

Upon analyzing Al-Hammami's deleted Twitter account, CNN found he was deeply religious and misogynistic, discussing his mother's struggles in finding him a suitable wife and railing against mixed-gender workplaces. The nearly 3,000 deleted tweets, published between 2021 and 2022, are indicative of his extremist beliefs.

Israeli authorities are investigating how an Omani citizen, who does not recognize Israel, was permitted to serve as a pilot on a flight to Tel Aviv. The UAE attorney general has also launched an investigation to determine whether the attack was linked to "terrorist activity" and if it involved planning or direction. Israel, UAE, and Oman are all involved in the investigation as the aircraft is registered in the UAE.