Co-pilot of attempted hijacking learned to fly in the UK, reports indicate

The co-pilot who attempted to hijack an Israel-bound flight learned to fly at a pilot-training company in Britain, according to reports. Omani national Hamam Al Hammami, 29, severely wounded captain Smit Machchhar using the onboard crash axe as he tried to take control of the Flydubai plane on its way to Tel Aviv last week. Passengers and crew grappled with Al Hammami to regain control of the plane, which had plummeted 14,000 feet in just 29 seconds. It is believed a British off-duty pilot was among those who intervened. Al Hammami, who studied at a British university, had previously worked with Oman's national airline as a trainee in 2024 but was removed from flying due to concerns about potential radicalization from time spent in Syria, according to officials. Reports indicate that Al Hammami undertook training with L3 Airline Academy, a pilot-training company in England that has since become part of Acron Aviation. He is understood to have trained at one or more of the company's centers in England, which include facilities in Southampton, Bournemouth, and a simulator center near Gatwick. When approached, Acron Aviation declined to confirm whether Al Hammami had trained with them. Footage filmed by passengers shows the wounded captain Smit Machchhar lying on the floor as others tend to him. Passengers exited the rear of the plane, which appeared to show a section of the rudder missing, after it landed in Saudi Arabia. A spokesman for Acron Aviation stated, 'We were saddened to hear of this incident, and our thoughts are with everyone affected. As a matter of policy, we do not publicly comment on whether any individual is or has been a student with us. We will, of course, assist the relevant authorities, if necessary, in any way we can as they investigate this incident.' While enrolled at Buckinghamshire New University (BNU), where he studied for a three-year distance-learning degree in aviation before graduating in 2023, Al Hammami reportedly made social media posts that encouraged violence towards women. The university stated that Al Hammami did not take any pilot training at their institution. According to the university's website, its aviation management courses focus on the background operations, logistics, security, and management of the aviation industry. Al Hammami also studied engineering at a university in Australia. He was born in the UAE, and his mother is Syrian, obtaining Omani nationality from his father. US and Israeli intelligence believe the co-pilot planned to crash the plane into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport or a tower block in the city. Benjamin Netanyahu's government had been prepared to shoot the plane down to avoid a significant attack, sources told CBS News. As part of standard procedure for this type of threat, the Israeli Air Force attempted to contact the Flydubai cockpit without success before a command center was established and fighter jets were scrambled. Authorities closed Israel's airspace as the jets flew to investigate but called them back shortly after the plane, which had been approximately 400 miles from the Israeli border, turned toward Saudi Arabia. Had flight 1073 continued on its path, the Israeli jets were set to fly into Jordan and come close enough to inspect the plane's cockpit and cabin. After relaying their observations back to the command center and the Air Force, the jets would have remained in place as officials assessed the information. If there had been panic on board, officials would have consulted with the defense minister and Mr. Netanyahu to decide their next move. Protocol dictates that rogue flights approaching Israel are to be shot down, but only the prime minister could authorize such an action. The Flydubai flight would have been labeled rogue had it continued on its path, maintained radio silence, and indicated no demands from its hijacker. However, after descending 14,000 feet in 29 seconds, the plane's captain managed to fight the co-pilot long enough to unlock the cockpit door, after which passengers and crew overpowered the alleged attacker, allowing them to land safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Sources indicated that shooting the jet down would be preferable to risking hundreds of lives in a crash at Israel's Azrieli buildings, Ben Gurion airport, or another significant target. Smit Machchhar has been recognized for saving the lives of the 174 passengers on board. According to reports by CNN, two posts were made to a LinkedIn page matching Al Hammami's identity just nine hours after the attack. The first post reportedly featured a series of clips filmed in the cockpits of a Boeing 737 Max aircraft, including a clip geolocated to Dubai International Airport that zoomed in on a plane belonging to the Israeli airline El Al. The cockpit screen displayed the flight number – OMA624 – and the date, October 11, 2023, which corresponds to the time when Al Hammami worked at Oman Air. The flight number typically travels from Dubai to Muscat. Other clips showed additional planes from El Al and one from another Israeli airline, Arkia. The post concluded with a photo of Ayman al-Zawahiri, who led Al Qaeda after Osama Bin Laden's death, and a photo of Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who was responsible for a 2009 suicide bombing. The second post on the profile displayed an AI-generated image of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem – Islam's three holiest sites – connected by a glowing trail, accompanied by a recitation of a poem about rejecting humiliation and defending dignity. On the day of the attack, BNU announced that its license to sponsor international students had been suspended by the Home Office due to concerns about compliance with sponsorship duties, although it clarified that these issues were unrelated to Al Hammami or the Flydubai incident. The LinkedIn account associated with Al Hammami, which has since been deleted, indicated he worked at Oman Air for seven years, leaving in February 2025, and joined Royal Air Maroc in June 2025 before departing in January 2026. It did not mention Flydubai. It remains unclear how thoroughly Al Hammami was vetted when hired by the UAE-based airline. However, a Gulf diplomat confirmed that he underwent standard security checks prior to employment, which focused on any criminal convictions but did not delve deeper into his background for signs of radicalization. Royal Air Maroc confirmed that Al Hammami completed three months of training with the airline in 2025, but his application to work there afterward was rejected.