Stories
Flydubai Co-Pilot Supported Violence Against Women, Jews; Al-Qaeda Link Suspected
- •Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami attacked Indian pilot Smit Machhar in the cockpit and attempted to crash the plane.
- •Al-Hammami allegedly supported violence against women and the killing of Jews in social media posts.
- •His posts reportedly called for Sharia law and harsh Islamic punishments against homosexuals.
- •Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the co-pilot was 'radicalized by Islamist extremism'.
- •The plane was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after the attacker was restrained; an investigation is ongoing.
Key Questions Answered
Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami attacked Indian Captain Smit Machhar with a crash axe inside the cockpit of Flydubai flight FZ1073 and attempted to crash the aircraft. Despite being severely injured, Captain Machhar thwarted the attempt and opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to restrain the attacker before the plane diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
During interrogation, Hamam al-Hammami confessed to the incident and stated that he intentionally wanted to crash the plane and was not afraid of death.
An analysis of social media posts linked to Al-Hammami revealed content supporting violence against women, advocating for harsh punishments against Jews and homosexuals, expressing intense hatred toward Jewish people, and indicating links to Al-Qaeda and jihadi ideology.
