FlyDubai attacker began ‘drift towards terrorism’ as a student in Australia: United Arab Emirates

The flydubai attacker meant to crash the plane into Israel's largest airport, in a September 11-styled suicide mission, Emirati investigators have said. They noted that the co-pilot had developed increasingly extreme Islamist views over the last few years. The plane, carrying passengers who were on the FlyDubai aircraft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an emergency signal, arrives at the Ben Gurion International Airport, in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel. (REUTERS)The announcement came from the Attorney General of the United Arab Emirates. He provided a comprehensive account of the co-pilot's motives, and preparation for what the Emiratis called a ‘terrorist operation’. The report raised questions of how signs of radicalization were missed and how the individual was allowed to fly this sensitive route. Over 170 passengers, mostly Israelis, were on the flydubai plane, when the co-pilot started to attack the pilot with the crash ax and then tried to crash the flight. Captain Smit Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door and passengers then subdued the co-pilot, averting the tragedy. Backup pilots who happened to be on board stabilized the plane, and there was an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. What Emirati AG said about flydubai co-pilotEmirati attorney general, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said that the Omani co-pilot had planned to crash the plane into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. As per the AG, the 29-year-old intended to cause ‘the greatest possible loss of life.’ While the AG did not identify the co-pilot, people familiar with the matter said it was Hamam al-Hammami, as per New York Times. They added that his embrace of radical Islamist views had prompted Omani authorities to take a closer look at the man. They found that he'd begun a ‘drift towards extremism and terrorism’ almost a decade ago, when he was a student in Melbourne, Australia. The co-pilot was enrolled at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, between 2015 and 2017. The institute in a statement said that he did not complete his engineering degree, as per NYT. Also Read | ‘Revenge for Gaza’: Omani co-pilot on flydubai flight told investigators he wanted to ‘die as martyr’During his time in Australia Hammami is believed to have developed a fascination for extremist literature, and online content which glorified ‘terrorist organizations and suicide operations,’ as per the Emirati statement. He also reportedly got ‘support’ from groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, an international Islamist movement, the statement added. The statement noted that the co-pilot took inspiration from the 9/11 attacks and takfir ideology, which allows one Muslim to declare another an apostate. He became interested in a similar attack, the Emiratis found. What did the co-pilot say?The co-pilot had confessed to authorities that following through on this decision was ‘linked to his decision to pursue a career in aviation,’ investigators found. Prior to joining flydubai in January 2026, he worked for Oman Air for four years, and his career includes a short stint at Royal Maroc Air, a Moroccan airline. The co-pilot said he acted alone, and to prepare for the operation, the individual used two earlier flights to Tel Aviv, to familiarize himself with the route. He also consumed more ‘material promoting terrorism’ and trained in boxing the statement also added. The AG said the co-pilot had ‘met the professional and security requirements for employment’ at flydubai, which included finishing required checks and providing a certificate for ‘good conduct’. As per the AG, none of the steps had revealed ‘any indications of his extremist views or his intention to carry out a terrorist plot.’