The United Arab Emirates has formally identified the co-pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073 as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. UAE officials say al-Hammami used an emergency crash axe to attack Captain Smit Machchhar, intending to kill him and crash the aircraft into Israel. Al-Hammami had reportedly been denied employment by other airlines due to his radical jihadist views, according to The Zioneer.
Today's identification by UAE officials confirms the suspect as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, and provides the first official account of the attack method: an emergency crash axe used against Captain Smit Machchhar. The Zioneer previously reported that al-Hammami, also identified in security circles as al-Mami, confessed in interrogation to planning to crash the aircraft into a strategic target inside Israel. A CNN investigation revealed that his deleted LinkedIn account contained al-Qaeda imagery and footage of Israeli aircraft. The suspect was reportedly denied employment with other regional airlines due to his radical views, raising questions about Flydubai's screening process. The investigation involves UAE, Saudi, and Israeli authorities, with the suspect transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE for further questioning. The attack was thwarted by Israeli passengers and crew who subdued al-Hammami mid-flight, allowing the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
2 developments
- StrongItalian investigation reveals Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with emergency axe, shut down both engines over Saudi desert
- StrongFlydubai passengers tell New York Post: crew asked us to release terrorist co-pilot
- DevelopingBen-Gvir: Israel Should Seek Extradition of Flydubai Co-Pilot
- ConfirmedOmani co-pilot planned to crash plane into Ben Gurion Airport terminal, interrogation report says
Source and signal
- Open-source intake