The UAE is seeking the harshest possible punishment, potentially including the death penalty, for Hamam al-Hammami, the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the cockpit of a flydubai passenger aircraft and attempting to take control of the plane, according to a report by Israeli news outlet Ynet.
The UAE has described the September 30 incident as a terrorist attack. Flydubai flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with more than 170 people on board when al-Hammami allegedly attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar with the aircraft’s crash axe and tried to take control of the plane.
Passengers and crew members intervened, while other pilots helped stabilise the aircraft. The flight was eventually forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national, was detained in Saudi Arabia before being brought back to the UAE for questioning.
Several Israeli officials are reportedly assisting the UAE in the investigation as authorities examine the circumstances surrounding the cockpit attack and the co-pilot’s background.
AL-HAMMAMI ALLEGEDLY WANTED TO CRASH PLANE
According to a Saudi official briefed on his interrogation and cited by The Wall Street Journal, al-Hammami told investigators that he wanted to crash the aircraft and was not afraid of death.
The UAE investigation is examining whether al-Hammami was radicalised during time spent in Syria during the country’s civil war. Investigators are also scrutinising his online activity for possible clues about his motives and ideology.
More than 3,000 screenshots from a deleted X account reportedly remain available through the Internet Archive. Some posts allegedly expressed opposition to women working and showed a preference for religious women who wear the veil.
OMAN AIR HAD PREVIOUSLY STOPPED HIM FROM FLYING
Before joining flydubai, al-Hammami worked for Oman Air. People familiar with his background told The Wall Street Journal that the airline had barred him from flying after authorities became aware of his interest in browsing extremist websites.
He was reportedly placed in a deradicalisation programme and assigned a desk job.
Al-Hammami later sought employment elsewhere and reportedly attempted to join Royal Air Maroc in 2025. He eventually joined flydubai in February this year.
The case has raised questions about how he was able to return to flying duties and secure a cockpit position despite concerns reportedly linked to his earlier career.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the UAE generally conducts extensive security checks when hiring pilots. However, it could not establish what specific vetting flydubai carried out before employing al-Hammami.
People briefed on his background reportedly said Oman would have shared information about him if another country had formally requested it during an employment vetting process. Oman, however, received no such request, they said.
UAE PROBE EXAMINES ONLINE ACTIVITY
The UAE investigation is also examining material linked to al-Hammami’s deleted social-media presence.
The material reportedly includes posts and videos related to aviation, along with images associated with former al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and another al-Qaeda figure, Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi.
However, the accounts and material have not been independently verified as belonging to al-Hammami.
The co-pilot had reportedly posted about his interest in aviation, including his first solo flight and the experience of landing an aircraft carrying passengers.
Al-Hammami studied aviation in the UAE and later completed a remote-learning course in aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University in England.
The UAE probe is now examining the cockpit attack, his previous employment history, online activity and how he was able to return to flying duties. The country’s pursuit of the harshest possible punishment, potentially including the death penalty, highlights the seriousness with which authorities are treating the incident.
