A FlyDubai co-pilot who tried to crash a plane bound for Tel Aviv stabbed the captain and was stopped by passengers and crew before the aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The incident, which involved 174 people on board, has now drawn attention to the co-pilot’s past and the systems that failed to catch him earlier.
The co-pilot, identified by multiple sources familiar with the investigation as Hamam al Hamami, worked briefly for Oman Air before surveillance found him visiting radical websites. He later posted a video of El Al planes in Dubai with a photo of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the al Qaeda leader killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2022, at the end.
The Attack on the Plane
The flight was approaching Israel when the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the aircraft. Passengers and other crew members overpowered the co-pilot, and two off-duty pilots on the flight took control of the aircraft. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
No passengers were seriously injured. The pilot sustained stab wounds. Two crew members were hospitalized with unspecified injuries. The co-pilot remained in custody on Thursday.
Al Hamami is an Omani citizen but was not born in Oman. His mother is Syrian and his father is Omani. He lived most of his life outside Oman. The Omani government has not publicly confirmed his nationality.
From Oman Air to FlyDubai
Al Hamami entered new pilot training at Oman Air before surveillance found him visiting radical websites. Oman Air then transferred him to an office job. He resigned from that position after being placed on desk duty, around 2024.
FlyDubai hired al Hamami without vetting him with the Omani government. The investigation’s findings suggest that omission left the airline unaware of the warning signs that had already surfaced during his time at Oman Air. Those warning signs included the surveillance finding of his visits to radical websites, which prompted Oman Air to move him out of pilot training and into an office role.
Netanyahu’s Description of the Attack
Netanyahu said the attacker underwent Islamist radicalization and came to crash the plane with its passengers. He speculated the incident looked like a suicide attempt, citing witnesses who said the co-pilot jammed the plane’s equipment rather than stabilizing it.
After passengers subdued the co-pilot, he shouted for someone to kill him, according to Netanyahu. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called the incident an attempted jihadist terror attack and referred to the co-pilot as a terrorist.
President Trump suggested Thursday the co-pilot may be linked to Iran, saying “based on what I’m hearing.” Trump said “we’re working on it right now” and “the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes.”
Netanyahu told Fox it was too early to say if Iran was involved. An Israeli security official told CBS News authorities are investigating whether the attack resembled a Sept. 11-style terror attack and whether the attacker acted alone.
The Investigation Continues
The co-pilot was transferred Thursday from Saudi Arabia to the UAE for questioning by Israeli, UAE and Saudi officials. Netanyahu said the man was being questioned by Saudi authorities and that Israeli authorities would join the interrogation.
Netanyahu has warned of unspecified, escalating security threats to Israel amid operations against Iran-allied Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs the passengers and crew who stopped the attack and is against the surveillance state that failed to catch the co-pilot earlier. The incident raises questions about how FlyDubai handled its hiring process, but the blame here falls on the company’s failure to check al Hamami’s history with the Omani government, not on the kind of mass surveillance that failed to flag him in the first place.
That distinction matters. The paper opposes camera networks, data dragnets and the vendors lobbying to keep them. It supports the citizens and local groups pushing back against the surveillance state. The story shows a system that caught the co-pilot’s online activity but let the airline hire him anyway — a failure of due diligence, not of surveillance capacity.
What the reader should watch for is how FlyDubai responds to the scrutiny now falling on its hiring practices. The paper wants airlines to know their employees’ backgrounds, not just to watch their internet use.
Key Facts Box
- Flight: Dubai to Tel Aviv
- Emergency landing: Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
- On board: 174 people, including passengers and crew
- Injuries: Pilot sustained stab wounds; two crew members hospitalized
- Co-pilot: Hamam al Hamami, identified by multiple sources
- Omani citizenship: Confirmed by sources, not yet publicly confirmed by Oman
- Video posted: El Al planes with a photo of Ayman al-Zawahiri
- Al-Zawahiri: Killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2022
What Is Known About Al Hamami
Al Hamami’s background is now the focus of the investigation. He worked briefly for Oman Air before surveillance found him visiting radical websites. That discovery prompted Oman Air to transfer him to an office job rather than continuing his pilot training.
He resigned from that office job after being placed on desk duty, around 2024. FlyDubai hired him without vetting him with the Omani government, meaning the airline was unaware of the warning signs that had already surfaced during his time at Oman Air. Those warning signs included the surveillance finding of his visits to radical websites, which prompted Oman Air to move him out of pilot training and into an office role.
The Case Ahead
The case should be pursued without rushing judgment. The co-pilot remains in custody, and questioning is underway involving Israeli, UAE and Saudi officials.
Netanyahu has called the incident a jihadist terror attack, and Katz has referred to the co-pilot as a terrorist. Trump has suggested a link to Iran, though Netanyahu has said it is too early to confirm. The investigation is ongoing.
Source material: “More details emerge about FlyDubai co-pilot who tried to crash plane,” CBS News.
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