New details have emerged on Hamam al-Hammami, the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 on September 30 in what is being described as a ‘terrorist’ plot.
September 30, 2026: Tel Aviv Flight Incident
Parallel to his work at Omani Aviation, he studied aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University in the United Kingdom. The three-year course was a remote one, meaning he did not stay in Britain for his college. Al-Hammami was the first officer on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Passengers and crew on board the aircraft were able to intervene before another pilot took control, and it made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Days after the incident aboard the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, US media reports citing sources said that al-Hammami, 29, was barred from flying previously by Omani authorities for his radical ideological views. READ | flydubai Co-Pilot Attacked Pilot With Cockpit’s Crash Axe In ‘Terrorist Attack’: UAE Al-Hammami began working for Omani Aviation in February 2018, when he was approximately 21 or 22 years old. He remained with the company for about seven years, until February 2025. Al-Hammami graduated in 2023. Al-Hammami left the Moroccan company in January 2026.
He then transferred to “Flydubai” and worked as a first officer there for about eight months before the September incident that shook the world. He assaulted the captain, Smit Machhar, with an axe in the cockpit and attempted to take control of the aircraft, according to UAE authorities.
January 2022: First Officer
However, that remains an inference from the timeline and is not confirmed information. However, no specific group he was linked to has been revealed yet, and there is no public information confirming his affiliation with any particular organisation. However, significant gaps remain with regard to his life and career. The most significant part of this is, perhaps, the period he spent in Syria and the timing of his presence there. Hamam al-Hammami was born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and a Syrian mother. He holds an Omani citizenship. This time is being regarded as the most mysterious chapter of his life, with Omani authorities believing that he was influenced by extremist ideas during his stay there. However, no documented information is available yet, specifying when he arrived in Syria, where he lived in the country, or for how long. Sources say Omani authorities linked their concerns about him to a previous period he spent in Syria, where it is believed he was exposed to extremist ideas. After about four months, he transferred to Royal Air Maroc and stayed there for about seven months.
As a result, he was removed from flight duties and transferred to administrative work within the company. It is believed that it was in Syria where al-Hammami was radicalised, an action that may have directly influenced his September 30 attempt to seize control of the aircraft to possibly crash it in Israel. He is currently 29 years old, meaning he was likely born in 1996 or 1997. When al-Hammam was likely between 14 and 21 years old, he had possibly spent time in Syria, according to security sources. The period between 2011 and 2017 appears to be the broadest possible time window for his presence in Syria, as it precedes the start of his known professional career in Omani aviation. READ | flydubai Co-Pilot Shared ‘Terrorist’ Images, Had Misogynistic Views: Report The most significant turning point in al-Hammami’s career came in 2024, when concerns about his ideas arose, and extremist materials were found in his possession, security and intelligence sources say. Al-Hammami left Omani Aviation in February 2025 after about seven years with the company.
The Omani citizen had moved between the UAE, Oman, Syria and Morocco before he joined flydubai as a first officer, according to available information. Al-Hammami began working as a first officer on the “Boeing 737” aircraft at Omani Aviation starting in January 2022, according to his professional resume.
October 2026: Investigation
After the incident, the investigation expanded to include Al-Hammami’s background, professional career, communications, electronic activity, and reasons for moving between different airlines. Syria remains the most mysterious chapter in his biography.
The UAE, which is leading ongoing investigations, said on Saturday that the co-pilot attempted to carry out a “terrorist act”.
