Omani 29‑year‑old pilot Hamam al‑Hammami was cleared to fly a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv in 2024 after Oman Air flagged him for extremist activity. On board he attempted to stab the captain and then tried to bring the aircraft down.
Al‑Hammami began his career with Oman Air, logging more than 1,400 flight hours before being moved to an administrative role in February 2025 after surveillance flagged extremist content on his social media. He left Oman Air in 2024, joined Royal Air Maroc for six months, and then relocated to Dubai, where flydubai hired him without a formal check with the Omani authorities.
Flydubai’s hiring oversight has come under scrutiny, especially as Oman and Israel have no diplomatic ties and the airline had no reason to suspect a security risk. The incident has exposed gaps in cross‑border vetting that could allow a flagged individual onto a flight to a politically sensitive destination.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said investigators suspect Islamist radicalisation and are probing whether al‑Hammami was directed by a third party. The UAE is also investigating potential terrorist links, while Israel is reviewing crew assignment procedures.
Flydubai is facing calls for a complete audit of its vetting processes, and the incident has prompted the UAE to tighten aviation security checks across the Gulf.