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flydubai Omani co-pilot's shocking online rants while at UK university: ‘Stomp on her head’, ‘cheap meat’

At another point, the account reportedly described women it disapproved of as “cheap meat devoured by anyone and everyone”.

Updated on: Oct 4, 2026, 09:08:45 IST
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The co-pilot accused of attempting to “hijack” an Israel-bound flydubai flight had reportedly posted a series of violent and hateful comments targeting women while studying aviation at a British university. His posts frequently contained remarks like “stomp on her head”, “give her pre-emptive slap”.

A flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft is pictured on the tarmac after landing at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in Lod on September 30, 2026. (AFP)
A flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft is pictured on the tarmac after landing at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in Lod on September 30, 2026. (AFP)

Identified as Hamam al-Hammami by various media outlets, the 29-year-old Omani national is currently being held in Abu Dhabi.

The Telegraph reportedly analysed more than 2,000 posts published between November 28, 2021 and August 10, 2022, and found that the account linked to Hammami advocated violence against women, supported severe punishments in the name of Islamic law, and contained homophobic and sexually humiliating remarks. The posts were published while he was enrolled in a distance aviation course at England's Buckinghamshire New University (BNU).

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‘Stomp on her head’

Several of the posts made from an account using the name “Pilot Hamam al-Hammami”, contained explicit threats of violence against women.

In one exchange, the account told a woman: “I’d stomp on your head, wipe the floor with you, make you an example to others, and then divorce you :).”

In another discussion about a man striking a woman, the account appeared to justify the assault, writing: “He gave her a pre-emptive slap so she would redefine her boundaries, just as Russia slapped Ukraine to adjust its borders," The Telegraph reported.

The account went on to say that if the woman “so much as breathed” around the man, he would “stomp on her head”.

The user identified as @PilotHamam in The Telegraph's report, also criticised women for being “safe from punishment” and claimed that in parts of the Middle East, women who displeased their husbands could be “put to sleep with a slap and woken up with a slap”.

‘Cheap meat devoured by everyone’

At another point, the account reportedly described women it disapproved of as “cheap meat devoured by anyone and everyone”.

In an August 2022 exchange, the account responded aggressively to a woman discussing stereotypes about Syrian husbands. It told her to “shut up” and claimed that a Syrian man “gets you up with a slap and puts you to sleep with a slap”.

It further said such a husband would “make you see stars in broad daylight and wipe the floor with you”, before adding: “And this is the appropriate way to deal with your type.”

The Telegraph said all of these posts were published during the period Hammami was studying remotely for a three-year aviation management degree at BNU. He graduated in 2023 and is believed to have completed the course remotely from Muscat.

‘Extremist view’

The report comes amid separate allegations about Hammami's past and his alleged extremist views.

Earlier, a report by CNN had said that Hammami had been removed from a previous job at Oman’s national airline in 2025 following concerns over his extremist views. A LinkedIn profile matching his identity indicated that he had worked at Oman Air until February 2025.

CNN also reported that two posts appeared on the LinkedIn account about nine hours after the suspected attack. One reportedly featured Israeli airline jets before showing a montage that included a suicide bomber and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the former al-Qaeda leader.

It remains unclear how those posts were published or whether they had been scheduled in advance.

flydubai plane ‘hijack’ bid

HT graphic
HT graphic

The developments came after Hammami was accused of attacking Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot of a Flydubai Boeing 737 Max, using a crash axe kept inside the cockpit.

A crash axe stored in the aircraft's cockpit was reportedly used in the suspected attack.

The UAE prosecutor general described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack, while Israel's defence minister called it an “attempted jihadist terror attack”.

An Israeli official also told The Times of Israel on Thursday that Hammami had discussed killing Jewish people online, saying: “His social media accounts [say] clearly that he has been radicalised into jihadist ideology. He talks about killing Jews.”

  • Priyanshu Priya
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    Priyanshu Priya

    Priyanshu Priya is a journalist with nearly three years of newsroom experience, driven by a deep belief that stories, when told right, can shape conversations and hold power to account. Currently working as a Senior Content Producer with Hindustan Times, she writes on a wide spectrum of issues, from Indian politics and Delhi’s public concerns to global trade tensions and high-stakes crime stories. Priya joined HT at a pivotal moment, as Operation Sindoor was unfolding, and has since covered some of the most defining developments in recent times. Her reporting spans the Air India plane crash and the Pahalgam terror attack to India–US trade tensions, unrest in the Middle East, and key Assembly elections across states. She thrives in the fast-paced world of breaking news. In 2025–26, she was recognised with the Hindustan Times Digi Journo of the Q3 Award for driving over 4 million page views in a single month. A postgraduate in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and a Mass Communication graduate from Patna Women’s College, Priya began her news career with the Zee News English team, where she extensively covered the Lok Sabha Election 2024, along with the Delhi and Maharashtra Assembly elections. When she’s not tracking or writing the next big development, she unwinds by watching series and films, reading books with strong female protagonists, and revisiting comfort shows for the familiar ease they bring when life feels a little too jittery.Read More

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