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Hamam Al Hammami, 29, the Omani co-pilot accused of stabbing a FlyDubai captain and attempting to hijack a Tel Aviv-bound flight, studied at Buckinghamshire New University.
The co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack a Tel Aviv-bound FlyDubai flight with an onboard crash axe had been barred from flying by Oman Air over concerns he had adopted extremist views, according to a person familiar with the investigation. Oman's flag carrier made the move after Hamam Al Hammami, 29, was found with extremist materials while working as a co-pilot trainee in 2024, ABC News reported. He was demoted to an administrative role.
The Omani national was then hired by UAE-based FlyDubai, a Gulf diplomat said, speaking anonymously to discuss the ongoing investigation. It was not immediately clear to what extent the co-pilot was vetted when hired. Oman's barring of Al Hammami was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Al Hammami, who studied at Buckinghamshire New University in the UK, has been described as a religious extremist. A source at the university confirmed he completed a three-year distance-learning course and graduated with a degree in aviation management in 2023. He did not take any pilot training at the school. He is also understood to have studied engineering at a university in Australia.
Officials are investigating how he was allowed to fly for FlyDubai and how he became first officer in the cockpit of a plane headed for Israel. The United Arab Emirates, which is leading the investigation, is working to establish whether he acted as a lone wolf or has any connection with extremist groups. Al Hammami, transferred Thursday from Saudi Arabia to the UAE, is said to be cooperating with investigators.
The incident unfolded aboard Flight FZ1073, carrying 182 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv, on Wednesday morning. Officials feared it could have become another September 11 attack, adding that passengers had prevented an Israeli 9/11 by tying up the assailant. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz described it as an attempted jihadist terror attack thwarted only thanks to the heroism of several Israeli passengers.
Passengers and crew wrestled with the co-pilot after he attacked his colleague and attempted to take control of the jet. The plane plummeted 14,000ft in just 29 seconds while the severely wounded captain, Smit Machchhar, lay on the floor drenched in blood. A British off-duty pilot was among those believed to have helped save the aircraft.
It transmitted a general emergency signal using squawk code 7700 while making a U-turn over the border between the two countries. While flying over Saudi Arabia, it briefly issued code 7500, signalling unlawful interference or a hijacking. The flight was diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing.
A person who heard the crew's mayday call with air traffic control described the plane being turned away by Saudi Arabia and Jordan before eventually landing in Tabuk. The pilot's voice was trembling as he called mayday and said a hijacking was taking place and ambulances would be needed. Saudi Arabia initially denied clearance to land and directed him to Jordan, where the plane was told to wait for clearance from the Jordanian military and then turned away. The pilot then returned to Saudi Arabia and said he had to land in Tabuk. Controllers gave no reason for the earlier refusals.
Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun, named by local media, was hailed as a hero by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Wearing a blood-soaked T-shirt, he recounted breaking down the cockpit door and wrestling the alleged attacker. He said he put the pilot in a headlock and pulled the controls back after the aircraft nosedived, skills he credits to watching the TV show Air Disasters.
About an hour before landing, a woman started shouting about a stabbing, Hayoun said. He ran towards the cockpit but the plane nosedived. It lasted several seconds, he said, and they lost 14,000 or 15,000 feet in less than a minute. He found the wounded captain lying beside the door, conscious with his eyes open, while the attacker had his knees on the controls. Hayoun grabbed him by the throat, pushed him toward the exit, and shouted for help.
At least three other Israelis rushed to his aid. We subdued him with blows, we had to stun him, so he took some blows, he said. We tied him up. Once he was no longer a threat, we stood over him to make sure he could not free himself. He may have lost consciousness for a few minutes.
Hayoun then returned to the controls. I leaned over the seat, reached forward with my hands and pulled the controls toward me because the aircraft was pointing downward, he said. His daughter used to ask how the plane documentary would ever be useful, he added. Well, this is where it became useful to me. His actions allowed time for one of the off-duty pilots to step in and take control.
United Airlines pilot and aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said he was surprised the plane landed safely after most of the rudder was ripped off the tail during the extreme descent. That was a serious descent and strong aerodynamic forces on that rudder for that to happen, he said. I am just amazed the aircraft did not come apart.
Another expert, Jeff Guzzetti, said that given the rate of descent, it may not have been possible for the plane to level out if it had fallen below 10,000ft. It is remarkable they were able to pull out of that dive, said Mr Guzzetti, who used to investigate crashes for the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. What saved them is there was enough altitude left for them to recover.
Netanyahu said the alleged attacker was arrested in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday afternoon and was undergoing interrogation there. Passengers and crew, including Captain Machchhar, have been hailed for their bravery in preventing what is believed to be an attempted suicide mission. Mr Machchhar was praised for saving the lives of the 174 passengers on board, which included four Americans. Delhi's embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed he is being treated in a hospital in Tabuk.
Distressing footage showed Mr Machchhar lying on the ground covered in blood as passengers tended to his injuries, while another pilot is seen seemingly lying nearby unconscious. Passengers can be heard telling one of the men: You saved the plane. A FlyDubai spokesperson said the airline could not comment beyond its official statements and acknowledged there are many questions at this stage. The Daily Mail has gone to Buckinghamshire New University for comment.
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