Flydubai Co-Pilot’s Old Niqab Post, Extremist Views Surface After Attack

The Omani co-pilot accused of stabbing Captain Smit Machchhar, trying to take control of a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv and allegedly attempting to crash the plane with 174 passengers onboard on September 30 is facing growing scrutiny. His social media activity has also come under focus after the incident.

The Dubai-Tel Aviv flight made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the alleged attack. The Omani co-pilot accused of attacking Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv was identified as Hamam al-Hammami, Al Arabiya reported, citing sources.

Saudi media and CNN have also identified him as an Omani national who worked for Flydubai, according to reports. His deleted X account and later LinkedIn posts are now being examined as part of the wider attention around the case. The scrutiny widened after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called al-Hammami "radicalised". Authorities in the United Arab Emirates are investigating the incident, in which al-Hammami allegedly stabbed Machchhar and attempted to take over the aircraft.

Online Posts Revealed

Deleted posts from al-Hammami's X account pointed to deeply religious and misogynistic views, CNN reported. One post from January 2022 discussed what he described as the corrupting effect of mixed-gender workplaces on women.

"How many respectable, religious girls have been ruined in mixed-gender work environments and manipulated?" a January 2022 post said, CNN reported.

Another post from February 2022 dealt with his mother's efforts to find him a bride who would accept his conditions, including wearing a niqab and not working after marriage. "They all refused. Then my mother told them, 'My son is a pilot,' and they all suddenly agreed," al-Hammami reportedly said in a post in February 2022.

His LinkedIn activity also drew attention. Only two posts were made from that account and both appeared hours after Wednesday's foiled crash bid. The first showed cockpit clips from a Boeing 737 Max and images of planes from El Al and Arkia. The video ended with a photograph of Ayman al-Zawahiri and images of Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi.

Career And Background

Questions have also centred on his earlier aviation record. Saudi media and CNN identified al-Hammami as an Omani national. He was reportedly born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and Syrian mother.

He worked as a co-pilot for Flydubai, according to reports. Before that, he was dismissed from Oman's national airline last year over concerns about alleged extremist views, CNN reported, citing two sources. CNN also reported that he had been removed from flight training over radical views and moved to another role at Oman Air.

His now deleted LinkedIn profile said he worked with Oman Air for seven years and left in February 2025. The same profile said he then worked with Royal Air Maroc from June 2025 to January 2026.

Other reports pointed to earlier security concerns in Oman. ABC News and The Wall Street Journal reported, citing officials and people familiar with the investigation, that al-Hammami had previously been flagged as a security concern. According to those reports, Oman Air suspended him from flying after authorities found extremist material in his possession.

ABC News reported that al-Hammami was a co-pilot trainee at Oman Air when he was removed from the airline's flight-training programme in 2024 and shifted to an administrative role. The Wall Street Journal separately reported that he had earlier been barred from flying in Oman because of concerns over radical ideological views.

Unresolved Questions Remain

Some claims remain unproven. Reports have said al-Hammami spent time outside Oman, including in Syria, where he was allegedly exposed to extremist ideas.

Those claims are still under examination and have not been established as the motive behind the Flydubai incident. It also remains unclear whether Oman's earlier concerns about him were communicated to other countries or airlines.