NEW YORK, October 3. /TASS/. The Flydubai co-pilot who attacked the captain has been identified as 29-year-old Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, ABC News reported, citing sources familiar with the investigation.
According to the broadcaster, extremist materials were discovered in 2024 belonging to al-Hammami, who was then working as a co-pilot for Oman Air. Following that incident, he was relegated to an administrative role at Oman Air. Investigators have yet to determine how he was cleared to operate a Flydubai flight as a co-pilot. The Omani national is cooperating with the investigation and stated that he intended to crash the aircraft in Israel. He is currently held in the UAE as authorities continue to investigate the incident, ABC News said.
On September 30, a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, due to a security incident. On October 1, the Saudi Interior Ministry confirmed the diversion was caused by the co-pilot attacking the captain, leaving both with injuries of varying severity. The ministry added that after their medical release, both pilots flew to Abu Dhabi accompanied by Emirati security personnel, while the other six crew members had already returned safely to Dubai. UAE authorities are continuing their probe into the incident, including a review of operational and security measures.
