Flying ban in Oman, spent time in Syria, held ‘radical views’: What we know about flydubai co-pilot

Reports suggest that the Omani co-pilot spent considerable time in Syria, where he was allegedly exposed to extremist ideas before travelling to the UAE.

Two days after the Flydubai incident jolted the aviation world, there is still no official word on who was the attacker and what led to the mid-air emergency on a Tel Aviv-bound flight. While a regional investigation is underway, reports have now raised fresh questions about the Omani co-pilot, including his alleged past links to Syria and concerns over extremist views.

Passengers aboard the flydubai flight after arriving at the Ben Gurion International Airport, in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel, September 30, 2026. (AP, Reuters)

While Saudi's Al Arabiya identified the co-pilot as Hamam Al-Hammami, there is no official confirmation on the name yet. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has maintained radio silence on his identity, and the details about the co-pilot have not been independently verified by HT.

What we know so far

• Co-pilot identified as Hamam Al-Hammami: Al Arabiya, citing sources, identified the Omani co-pilot involved in the Flydubai incident as Hamam Al-Hammami.
• Studied aviation management in England: Al-Hammami's LinkedIn profile said he studied at Buckinghamshire New University in England, CNN reported. A university source confirmed to the news outlet that a man by that name completed a three-year distance-learning course and graduated with a degree in aviation management in 2023.
• Barred from flying in Oman: The co-pilot had previously been identified as a security risk and was barred from flying in Oman by the country's national airline over concerns that he had adopted radical or extremist views, according to ABC News and The Wall Street Journal reports.
• Al-Qaeda-linked content on LinkedIn: Al-Hammami's LinkedIn profile had only two posts, both uploaded in quick succession on Wednesday, around nine hours after the incident, a CNN report said. One of the videos included images of former al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who carried out a 2009 suicide bombing that killed nine people, including seven US CIA officers and contractors. Al-Balawi was known to have pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda, the report added.
• Spent time outside Oman: Another report in Al Arabiya said that the co-pilot spent most of his time outside Oman, particularly in Syria. ABC News and The Wall Street Journal also reported that he spent considerable time outside Oman, including in Syria, where he was allegedly exposed to extremist ideas before later travelling to the UAE.
• Left Oman Air, later hired by Flydubai: Despite the reported restrictions in Oman, the co-pilot was subsequently hired by the UAE-based airline, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. It is not immediately clear how extensively he was vetted when he was hired in the UAE.
• Claims of Islamist radicalisation: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization”. However, the Israeli PM did not provide evidence to support his assertion.
• Possible Iran link: US President Donald Trump told reporters that early information he had received suggested a link between the incident and Tehran, but did not elaborate.

What happened on the Flydubai flight?

Despite suffering serious injuries, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door. Passengers and crew members then entered the cockpit and helped restrain the co-pilot.

The aircraft was subsequently diverted and made an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia.

All passengers and crew survived the incident.

Machchhar has since received praise from leaders in India and Israel for his actions during the incident.