The flydubai co-pilot who stabbed Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and allegedly attempted to crash a Dubai–Tel Aviv flight on September 30, 2026, has been identified as Omani citizen Hamam al-Hammami, according to a U.S. media report.
He had previously been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about his extremist views, multiple media outlets have reported. Al Arabiya, citing an informed source, reported that Omani authorities determined that the co-pilot held extremist views. Scrutiny into the alleged assailant al-Hammami and his motives has intensified after the drama aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv route that officials say narrowly avoided catastrophe.
“The alleged attacker is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami,” the Wall Street Journal report said. Hamam al-Hammami was born to an Omani father and a Syrian mother, according to the WSJ report. The broadcaster said he had also spent time in Syria, raising concerns he may have been influenced by radical groups there. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the suspect had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination” and had attempted to crash the plane.
Oman’s move to bar the co-pilot from flying was first reported by the Wall Street Journal . But which Israeli agency or authority would take part in the questioning is yet to be known. Meanwhile, Mr. Machchhar is undergoing treatment at a hospital in the UAE. He spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone, recounting the terrifying moments after being attacked. However, he did not disclose what triggered the attack on him or the motive of the co-pilot. It was not immediately clear to what extent he was vetted when he was hired in the Emirates.
Earlier reporting noted: FlyDubai co-pilot who nearly crashed plane was barred from flying by Oman over extremism concerns The FlyDubai co-pilot who officials said nearly crashed a Tel Aviv-bound flight with 182 people aboard was barred from flying by his native Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views, a person familiar with the matter said Saturday. Israel and the UAE agreed on repatriation flights, beginning Friday (October 2, 2026), to bring back passengers stranded in the UAE after commercial travel between the two countries was suspended, according to an Israeli official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
An Israeli government official told Reuters that Israeli investigators would take part in the UAE-led investigation alongside Emirati authorities, seeking to determine what happened and examine the suspect’s motives and background. Earlier reporting noted: The co-pilot was subsequently hired by the United Arab Emirates-based airline, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Earlier reporting noted: The United Arab Emirates has canceled all flights to Israel, complicating travel for hundreds of passengers who fly between the countries on a typical day.
The co-pilot was transferred on Thursday (October 1, 2026) to the UAE, where the source said Israeli officials were expected to question him. The co-pilot was detained by Saudi Arabian authorities after the flight landed at the Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
