Flydubai Attack: Co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami Identified as Suspect

The identity of the co-pilot involved in the Flydubai attack has finally emerged from the shadows. Multiple reports confirm his name is Hamam al-Hammami and he holds Omani citizenship. Media outlets are circulating this information even though no official statement from authorities yet verifies his beliefs or confirms the details.

Investigators face a difficult task ahead as they try to understand why an aircraft would suddenly drop so violently. The United Arab Emirates labeled Wednesday's chaos on Flight FZ1073 as a planned terrorist operation. They say the co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, with an emergency axe and tried to seize control of the plane.

Questions are now swirling about pilot vetting procedures across the entire aviation industry. Everyone is wondering if warning signs were missed before this man joined the Dubai-based low-cost carrier. The Wall Street Journal reported that Omani authorities had previously banned him from flying in his home nation due to fears regarding alleged extremist views. It remains unclear exactly what those views entailed or if other airlines received any prior notice of these concerns.

CNN quoted a diplomatic source saying al-Hammami was pulled from flight training over similar issues before being moved to another job. A LinkedIn profile linked to his name claims he spent seven years at Oman Air until leaving in February 2025. The same profile noted he joined Royal Air Maroc in June 2025 and departed that airline in January 2026.

The timeline of events on Flight FZ1073 began early Wednesday morning. At 7:05am local time, the flight lifted off from Dubai bound for Tel Aviv with 174 people on board. Data from Flightradar24 shows the plane climbed to an altitude of 34,000 feet shortly after takeoff. Just over two hours into the journey, tracking data revealed a sudden and dangerous descent.

The aircraft plummeted more than 17,000 feet in roughly two minutes before climbing again and then dropping once more. Inside the cockpit, a fierce struggle had erupted between the two pilots. The co-pilot stabbed Captain Machchhar, leaving him seriously wounded on the floor of the flight deck. Later, the captain spoke from an Abu Dhabi hospital about that terrifying moment when he realized the plane was falling.

He told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he knew this was his last chance to act while lying on the ground. The door was right there, just a few feet away, and he needed to open it immediately. Now officials are working hard to determine if anyone else helped him or if he acted entirely alone.

I managed to do it and people entered," he said. Passengers and crew members stormed into the cabin and overpowered the co-pilot. The aircraft eventually levelled out at about 15,000 feet. Its transponder was subsequently switched to code 7500, signalling unlawful interference. Two reserve pilots who were on board took control of the jet and landed it in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia. The plane touched down safely at 9:45am (06:45 GMT) local time. Saudi authorities said both pilots were taken to hospital. They were later transferred to Abu Dhabi after being medically cleared.

What has the UAE said about the attack? UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said on Saturday that investigators had determined that the co-pilot had begun carrying out what he described as a "terrorist act". According to al-Shamsi, the co-pilot attacked the captain inside the cockpit using the aircraft's emergency crash axe and "attempted to take control of the aircraft's controls". A crash axe is a tool kept in a cockpit to help pilots cut through the plane in emergencies. On Thursday, al-Shamsi had ordered investigators to determine whether the incident was connected to "terrorist activity or intent" or involved prior planning or direction. The UAE has not yet publicly established a motive or announced whether investigators believe al-Hammami acted alone. UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash on Saturday said that the latest 'terrorist' attack is a new warning that region's fight against extremism is not over. "This underscores the importance of the UAE's early and firm stance: no tolerance for extremism and no leniency towards its rhetoric. Security begins with confronting hatred and drying up the sources of extremism," he posted on X.

What is the latest in the investigation? Abu Dhabi is now leading the investigation, with prosecutors examining the circumstances of the attack, its motive and any possible connections to others. Previously, al-Shamsi said UAE judicial authorities have jurisdiction over the incident because the aircraft is registered in the UAE and flies under its flag, adding that UAE law applies to crimes committed on board "even if they occur outside the country's territory". On Saturday, al-Shamsi said investigators are working "to uncover all the circumstances of the incident, its motives, and related connections, in addition to completing technical examinations and examining physical and digital evidence". The final results will be announced as soon as the necessary procedures are completed, he said. Meanwhile, Flydubai flights to Israel remain suspended amid the investigations.