IBNS-CMEDIA: The flydubai co-pilot accused of stabbing Captain Smit Machchhar during a mid-air confrontation and allegedly attempting to crash the aircraft carrying 174 passengers had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about his alleged radicalisation, according to a report by The Times of Israel.
The suspect, identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, was born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and a Syrian mother and spent several years in the UAE, CNN reported, citing two sources and an Israeli official.
A regional diplomat told CNN that al-Hammami had been removed from flight training because of concerns over his radical views and subsequently assigned a different role at Oman’s national airline.
An Israeli official told the American news network that al-Hammami had been employed by flydubai for only eight months. A fourth source said the alleged attacker had previously worked for Royal Air Maroc.
Citing his LinkedIn profile, CNN reported that al-Hammami studied at Buckinghamshire New University in England. A university source confirmed to the network that a man by that name had completed a three-year distance-learning course and graduated with a degree in aviation management in 2023.
The incident occurred aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when it was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia following a violent confrontation between the two pilots inside the cockpit.
According to reports, the confrontation began when the Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Machchhar, leaving him seriously injured.
The aircraft was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, when the incident unfolded.
Passengers and crew members reportedly intervened after the cockpit door was unlocked. Israeli dentist Musaev Shota, who was travelling on the flight, said he helped restrain the alleged attacker before assisting the injured captain and attempting to stop his bleeding.
Despite his injuries, Machchhar reportedly managed to unlock the cockpit door before losing consciousness, enabling passengers and crew members to enter and help overpower the alleged attacker.
The aircraft reportedly underwent a dramatic descent during the confrontation before control was regained and the flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing.
An investigation into the incident is underway.
