Flydubai Hijacker Studied At British University Before Cockpit Attack

Key Points

• Hammam al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national, has been identified as the Flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking the captain during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
• UAE authorities said the co-pilot used a cockpit crash axe in what they described as a terrorist attack and attempted to take control of the Boeing 737 MAX.
• The aircraft reportedly lost a substantial amount of altitude during the confrontation before the captain managed to open the cockpit door and allow passengers and crew to restrain Hammami.
• Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was seriously injured and later taken to hospital after the aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
• Hammami previously worked for Oman Air and was reportedly removed from flight duties after concerns about alleged extremist views and material found in his possession.
• ABC News and other outlets reported that Hammami had been barred from flying, while he was subsequently retained in an administrative role at Oman Air.
• Buckinghamshire New University confirmed that Hammami completed a three-year distance-learning aviation management course and graduated in 2023, but did not undertake pilot training there.
• Royal Air Maroc said Hammami completed a three-month theoretical training programme with the airline in 2025 but was not selected for employment afterwards.
• Reports based on a now-deleted LinkedIn profile indicate that Hammami left Oman Air in February 2025, later underwent training with Royal Air Maroc and joined Flydubai in 2026.
• Questions are now being raised about how previous security concerns were assessed before Hammami was permitted to serve as a co-pilot on an Israel-bound flight.
• Investigators are examining whether Hammami acted alone or had links to an extremist organisation, with UAE and Israeli authorities involved in the wider investigation.

Britain Today News (BTN) October 3, 2026 – The co-pilot accused of attempting to seize control of a Flydubai aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv has been identified as 29-year-old Omani national Hammam al-Hammami, with investigations now examining his previous employment, education and security history. The incident has also revealed that Hammami completed an aviation management degree through distance learning at Buckinghamshire New University in England, graduating in 2023. The university has confirmed that his course was academic and did not include pilot training. Meanwhile, reports from several international media organisations indicate that he had previously been removed from flying duties in Oman because of concerns about alleged extremist views.

What happened aboard the Flydubai flight?

Inverted Pyramid: The central development is the identification and background of the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain during the Israel-bound flight, while authorities investigate the circumstances that allowed him to occupy a cockpit position despite earlier concerns reportedly raised during his time with Oman Air.

According to Reuters, UAE prosecutors said Hammami attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar with the aircraft’s emergency crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft. The incident occurred aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 while it was travelling from Dubai towards Tel Aviv. UAE authorities have characterised the incident as a terrorist attack.

The Associated Press reported that the aircraft was carrying 182 people and experienced a sharp descent during the confrontation. Passengers and other crew members intervened after the captain managed to open the cockpit door. Hammami was subsequently restrained, allowing the aircraft to be brought under control.

Captain Machchhar was seriously injured during the confrontation. The aircraft diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed at Tabuk, after which the captain and Hammami were taken for medical treatment. The passengers were later able to continue their journey separately.

What is known about Hammam al-Hammami’s British education?

Buckinghamshire New University has confirmed that Hammami studied aviation management through a distance-learning programme.

As reported by the Associated Press, university spokesman Keith Coles said Hammami completed a distance-learning course in aviation management but did not undertake pilot training at the university.

The Telegraph also reported that Hammami attended a three-year distance-learning course at Buckinghamshire New University in High Wycombe and graduated in 2023.

The university’s aviation provision includes programmes related to aviation, airline and airport management, alongside links with organisations operating in the aviation industry. The institution has also promoted mentoring arrangements involving lecturers, alumni and aviation professionals.

The distinction between aviation management education and pilot training is significant in understanding Hammami’s background. His British university studies provided an academic qualification in aviation management rather than professional flight training, according to the university.

What was Hammami’s previous employment at Oman Air?

Reports from several organisations indicate that Hammami previously worked for Oman Air and had been on a pilot-training pathway.

ABC News reported that intelligence and law-enforcement officials said Hammami had worked at Oman Air as a co-pilot trainee before being suspended after concerns about his alleged extremist views emerged.

According to the ABC report, Hammami was found in possession of extremist material and had visited websites considered radical by investigators. He was reportedly barred from flying but remained associated with Oman Air in an administrative capacity.

The Associated Press separately reported that Hammami had previously been barred from flying by Oman because of concerns over extremist views. It said investigators were now examining how he subsequently passed security checks associated with his employment elsewhere.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Oman had prevented Hammami from flying because of concerns about his ideological views. The account has become an important part of the investigation because of his subsequent employment history.

What does his reported employment history show?

A now-deleted LinkedIn profile identified by CNN reportedly stated that Hammami worked for Oman Air until February 2025.

The profile subsequently listed Royal Air Maroc from June 2025 until January 2026, before Hammami is believed to have joined Flydubai.

The Indian Express, citing CNN and other reporting, said Hammami had worked for Oman Air for several years before his removal from flight-related duties. It also reported that he was born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother, although other details of his personal background remain subject to investigation.

Royal Air Maroc has provided a specific account of his involvement with the Moroccan airline.

In a statement reported by the Associated Press, the carrier said Hammami completed three months of theoretical training in 2025 as part of its pre-employment process. The airline said his application was not selected for employment after the training period.

That account differs from descriptions suggesting he had been employed as a pilot by Royal Air Maroc. The airline’s statement indicates that he underwent training but was not ultimately hired.

How did Hammami come to work for Flydubai?

The circumstances surrounding Hammami’s recruitment by Flydubai are now a major focus of the investigation.

The Associated Press reported that questions had emerged over how thoroughly his background had been assessed before he was employed by Flydubai. The airline has said it cannot comment beyond its official statements while the investigation continues.

The Wall Street Journal similarly reported that investigators were examining whether terrorism played a role and how the incident occurred despite previous concerns reportedly associated with Hammami.

An Israeli official also raised questions about Hammami’s presence on a route between the UAE and Israel. The issue is particularly sensitive because Oman does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

Reports supplied to The Telegraph said Hammami had worked for Flydubai for around eight months. Those reports have led to questions about the recruitment and vetting procedures applied before he was permitted to operate on a route involving Israel.

The precise sequence of security checks and information-sharing between airlines and government authorities remains under investigation.

What did investigators find on Hammami’s social media accounts?

Social media activity linked to Hammami has also become part of the investigation.

CNN reported that posts associated with his social media accounts appeared after the incident and included imagery linked to extremist figures. CNN also reported that the posts were published several hours after the attack, although it was unclear whether Hammami himself had published them or whether they had been scheduled in advance.

The Indian Express reported that deleted posts also reflected conservative and misogynistic views concerning women and marriage.

The Telegraph’s account said one LinkedIn post included imagery featuring Israeli aircraft alongside images associated with a suicide bomber and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the former al-Qaeda leader.

The existence, timing and authorship of the posts are matters investigators will need to establish. Their appearance on social media does not by itself establish whether Hammami was acting on behalf of an organisation.

Why are aviation security procedures now being questioned?

The case has raised questions about the transfer of security information between airlines, regulators and intelligence agencies.

According to The Telegraph’s reporting, former security officials questioned whether Israeli authorities had received sufficient information about the co-pilot before the aircraft departed Dubai.

Ronen Solomon, described as an aviation security specialist, told The Telegraph that background checks should identify warning signs relating to hostile attitudes towards Israel or other security concerns.

The Associated Press has also reported that the incident prompted questions about Flydubai’s employee-vetting procedures and how Hammami’s presence on a flight carrying Israeli passengers passed existing security arrangements.

These questions remain unresolved. There is currently no public evidence establishing that any particular Israeli, Emirati or airline official knowingly permitted a security risk to operate the flight.

What is known about the captain and the passengers?

Captain Smit Machchhar became central to the incident after reportedly sustaining serious injuries while attempting to prevent Hammami from taking control of the aircraft.

According to the Associated Press, Machchhar used his remaining strength to open the cockpit door, enabling passengers and other crew members to intervene.

The aircraft’s descent during the confrontation was severe. AP reported that the aircraft lost a substantial amount of altitude and suffered damage during the incident, before crew members managed to stabilise it and land in Saudi Arabia.

The passengers, most of whom were reportedly Israeli, were later flown onwards after the emergency landing.

The incident therefore involved two separate security challenges: the alleged attack inside the cockpit and the subsequent need to stabilise and land an aircraft whose primary pilots had been involved in the confrontation.

What are UAE and Israeli authorities investigating?

The UAE is leading the investigation, while Israeli officials are also examining the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The Independent reported that investigators were seeking to determine whether Hammami acted alone or had links to extremist groups.

ABC News likewise reported that Emirati and Israeli officials were expected to examine possible terrorist motivations and whether anyone else directed or assisted the alleged attack.

CNN reported that Hammami had been transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE and was facing a terrorism investigation.

At this stage, publicly available reporting does not establish that Hammami was acting under the direction of a wider organisation. That is one of the questions investigators are expected to address.

What questions remain about the Flydubai recruitment process?

The central unanswered question is how information from Hammami’s previous employment was handled when he subsequently sought work with other aviation companies.

His reported history contains several stages: aviation management studies in Britain, pilot training with Oman Air, removal from flight duties following security concerns, theoretical training with Royal Air Maroc without subsequent employment, and eventual employment with Flydubai.

The chronology has been assembled from reporting by CNN, ABC News, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, the Associated Press, The Telegraph and other organisations. Some details differ between accounts, particularly over the precise timing of his removal from flight training and subsequent employment.

Those differences underline why the official investigation will be important in establishing the definitive sequence of events.

What is the background to the aviation security concerns?

The cockpit is subject to strict security procedures because unauthorised access or interference with flight controls can have immediate consequences for everyone aboard an aircraft.

Crash axes are normally carried in cockpits as emergency equipment. The Associated Press reported that they can be used to break open panels or windows during an emergency.

The Flydubai incident has therefore attracted attention not only because of the alleged extremist motivation but also because the suspected attacker was himself a member of the flight crew.

The case also involves international aviation because the flight originated in the UAE, was bound for Israel, involved an Omani national and an Indian captain, and eventually landed in Saudi Arabia. The subsequent investigation involves authorities from more than one country.

What could this development mean for aviation security and international passengers?

The immediate significance for airlines, aviation regulators and passengers is the renewed focus on how security information about flight crew members is shared across borders.

If investigators establish that relevant information about Hammami was available but was not transferred effectively between employers or authorities, aviation regulators could face pressure to review existing vetting and information-sharing procedures. If the investigation instead finds that available checks were followed and the relevant information was not accessible to Flydubai, the focus could fall on the limitations of existing international systems.

For international passengers, the case highlights the importance of layered aviation security rather than reliance on a single screening stage. Crew recruitment, background checks, intelligence-sharing, cockpit procedures and emergency response can all form part of the wider safety framework.

No final conclusion should be drawn until the UAE-led investigation and any cooperating investigations establish what information was known, when it was known, and which authorities had responsibility for acting on it.

Background to the Development

The incident occurred on a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, with the aircraft eventually diverted to Saudi Arabia after the cockpit confrontation. UAE prosecutors subsequently described the incident as a terrorist attack.

Hammami’s identification has brought attention to his earlier career. Reports say he worked for Oman Air, was removed from flying duties following concerns about alleged extremist views, later completed training with Royal Air Maroc without being hired, and then joined Flydubai.

Separately, Buckinghamshire New University confirmed that he completed a distance-learning aviation management programme and did not undertake pilot training at the institution.

The combination of these developments has made his recruitment history a central part of the ongoing investigation.

Potential Impact on the Aviation Industry and International Travellers

For the aviation industry, the case could lead to closer examination of international crew-vetting procedures, particularly where an employee has previously been removed from flight duties for security-related reasons.

For airlines, any confirmed failure in the exchange of relevant employment or security information could increase pressure for stronger cross-border verification. For regulators, the case may prompt scrutiny of whether existing systems provide sufficient access to information held by foreign airlines and authorities.

For passengers, the immediate practical impact is likely to be greater attention to crew security and cockpit protection on international routes. However, the eventual implications will depend on the findings of the investigation rather than on allegations or preliminary reports.

At present, the key unresolved issues are whether Hammami acted alone, what motivated the alleged attack, what information was available about his previous security history, and how that information was assessed before he was permitted to serve as a Flydubai co-pilot.