Omani FlyDubai first officer accused of attacking colleague on Israel-bound flight
A 29-year-old Omani national, Hamam Al Hammami, has been identified as the FlyDubai first officer accused of stabbing a colleague and attempting to seize control of a flight bound for Tel Aviv. The incident prompted an emergency diversion and investigations into how he came to fly for the airline.
The flight carried 182 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday before landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. It briefly broadcast the hijacking code 7500 after transmitting a general emergency signal; passengers reportedly subdued the alleged attacker. Al Hammami graduated in aviation management from Buckinghamshire New University through a distance-learning course in 2023, but the university said he did no pilot training there. Sources said he had been found with extremist materials while training at Oman Air in 2024, then moved to an administrative role.
- A FlyDubai first officer is accused of trying to hijack a flight.
- Passengers reportedly subdued him before the plane landed in Saudi Arabia.
- The 182 people aboard were carried safely to an emergency landing.
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A first officer on a commercial flight allegedly attacked a colleague and attempted to seize control of the aircraft on Wednesday whilst flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The plane, carrying 182 people, made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after passengers reportedly helped subdue the attacker.
The accused is Hamam Al Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani employed as a first officer by FlyDubai, a regional airline. He had been flagged as a security concern at Oman Air in 2024 after extremist materials were found with him, and was subsequently moved to an administrative role.
The incident has raised questions about airline vetting and oversight. Al Hammami's employment as a first officer despite prior security concerns, combined with his aviation qualification being obtained through distance learning in 2023 with no formal pilot training, has prompted scrutiny of recruitment procedures.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “‘Religious extremist’ pilot who stabbed his colleague and tried to crash FlyDubai plane bound for Israel is revealed as Omani national who studied remotely at British university”.