The pilot accused of attacking another pilot on a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. Social media posts also appear to show extremist views, according to CNN.
Al-Hammami was reportedly 8 months into his job with Flydubai when Wednesday’s incident occurred. According to sources cited by CNN, he had previously worked for Oman Air for about 7 years before leaving in February 2025. He later worked for Royal Air Maroc from June 2025 until January 2026.
Al-Hammami had been removed from flight training at Oman Air because of concerns about his radical views and was moved into another role at the airline, according to a regional diplomat quoted by CNN.
An online LinkedIn profile matching his name said he had worked for Oman Air and Royal Air Maroc, but the profile has since been deleted.
The pilot was born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and Syrian mother and spent several years living in the UAE, according to one source. He also completed a three-year distance learning program in aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University in England, graduating in 2023.
Social media accounts associated with al-Hammami also showed 2 posts on a LinkedIn account using his name several hours after Wednesday’s incident. It is unclear who posted them or whether they had been scheduled in advance.
One video included footage filmed inside Boeing 737 MAX cockpits and showed aircraft operated by Israeli airlines, including El Al and Arkia. The video ended with images of former al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and a militant who carried out a 2009 suicide bombing that killed 9 people, including 7 CIA personnel.
A second post featured an image linking Islam’s holy sites in Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem, along with a poem about rejecting humiliation, not fearing death and defending one’s dignity.
Al-Hammami had also made thousands of posts on a now-deleted Twitter account discussing religious views, marriage and mixed-gender workplaces. Some of the posts included comments about women and working environments.
The revelations come after al-Hammami was accused of attacking the lead pilot aboard Flydubai Flight 1073 on Wednesday while the aircraft was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The plane later made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after losing thousands of feet in altitude.
The UAE attorney general has opened an investigation into whether the incident was connected to terrorist activity or involved prior planning, according to state media.
Israeli authorities are also investigating how the Omani pilot came to be part of the crew on a flight to Tel Aviv.