FlyDubai hired Hamam al-Hammami despite Oman Air ban over extremist views, investigators reveal
From the Newshound archive · first published 2 October 2026 · last updated 4 October 2026.
The injured Omani co-pilot, who Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said had undergone "Islamic radical indoctrination" and was suicidal, with Israel probing whether the attack was state-sponsored.Narendra Modi speaking with Captain Smit Machchhar, whom India's Prime Minister said had "shown the world the highest form of courage" and that India is "praying for his wellbeing.The attacker on the Flydubai flight was restrained by passengers using a belt, Captain Smit Machchhar's mother told reporters.Scenes from flight FZ1073, where passengers reportedly heard screams from the cockpit before acting to subdue the attacker onboard.Birmingham Perry Barr MP Ayoub Khan sparked fury after suggesting the Flydubai terror attack was a false flag.Ayoub Khan, the Independent MP who suggested the FlyDubai terror attack was a false flag, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Captain Smit Machchhar for showing "the highest form of courage.
Hamam Al Hammami, 29, posted footage of Al Qaeda leaders and cockpit clips zooming in on Israeli airline El Al aircraft at Dubai International Airport as far back as October 2023, new evidence shows. The Omani national, who studied at a British university, was stripped of his flying role at Oman Air in 2024 after radical Islamic websites were found on his phone — yet FlyDubai hired him without checking his background and put him on the sensitive Dubai-to-Tel Aviv route.
Al Hammami's LinkedIn page posted the targeting clips of El Al planes nine hours after Wednesday's attack, ending with photos of Al Qaeda leaders Ayman al-Zawahiri and a 2009 suicide bomber.
UAE prosecutor general Hamad Saif al-Shamsi confirmed Al Hammami was 'attempting to carry out a terrorist act' after he struck captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe, causing the plane to plummet 14,000ft in 29 seconds.
Netanyahu warned whoever directed the attack 'will pay a very heavy price', adding Israel has now closed the 'loophole' allowing pilots from countries with no Israeli diplomatic ties to fly the Tel Aviv route.
