Authorities investigating the violent incident on a FlyDubai flight discovered that the suspected attacker aimed to deliberately crash the aircraft into Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, according to two senior U.S. officials and an Israeli source familiar with the probe.
The suspect, identified as Hamam Al-Hammani, is an Omani national who serves as the plane’s co-pilot. He allegedly assaulted the flight captain during the journey to Israel.
Concerns regarding Al-Hammani’s background surfaced previously when he was suspended from his training role at Oman Air in 2024. The suspension occurred after he was found in possession of extremist materials, a discovery that prompted questions about how he subsequently secured employment with FlyDubai.
The case continues to develop as investigators piece together the timeline of events leading to the mid-air confrontation.
Extremist materials found in 2024 and he still got a job? Something is seriously broken in the vetting process here. We need answers.
It is terrifying that he passed security checks after that suspension. How did this man get hired again? This feels like a massive systemic failure.