Flydubai Co-Pilot Accused in Terror Plot Was Radicalized in Melbourne, Prosecutor Claims

The co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack and crash a Flydubai jet bound for Israel was radicalized in Melbourne, Australia, nearly a decade ago, according to the United Arab Emirates' top prosecutor. Hamam al-Hammami made a "detailed confession" following his arrest over the September 30 terror plot, UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al Shamsi stated.

Al Shamsi said that al-Hammami began showing signs of drifting towards extremism in 2017 while studying in Melbourne, where he became acquainted with individuals linked to an Islamic center. During this period, he was influenced by "Takfiri ideology" through reading extremist literature and consuming online content that glorified terrorist organizations and suicide attacks, according to the prosecutor. The prosecutor added that al-Hammami drew inspiration from the September 11, 2001 attacks, and the idea of carrying out a similar operation using an aircraft became firmly established in his mind. Takfir is an extremist doctrine where one Muslim declares another a non-believer, sometimes used to justify violence.

The Emirates News Agency reported that al-Hammami admitted to regularly attending a mosque affiliated with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Through these visits, he became acquainted with individuals associated with a center known as "My Centre." The agency stated that al-Hammami also said he had prepared himself psychologically and physically for the plot by intensifying his exposure to material promoting terrorism and training in boxing under a private coach.

Al-Hammami allegedly planned to crash Flydubai flight 1073 into a terminal at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport. He reportedly wounded Captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe in an attempt to seize control of the plane en route to Tel Aviv. Passengers and crew then grappled with al-Hammami, an Omani national, to regain control of the aircraft, which plummeted 14,000 feet in just 29 seconds. Captain Machchhar was credited with saving the lives of the 172 passengers aboard by fighting off al-Hammami and his attempts to sabotage the plane's systems.

Distressing footage from the incident showed Captain Machchhar lying on the floor covered in blood as passengers tended to his injuries. Passengers could be heard thanking him for saving the plane.

Al Shamsi stated that investigations revealed al-Hammami had used two previous flights to Tel Aviv to "familiarize himself with the flight route and the airport." The alleged hijacker attempted to take control of the plane with the intention of causing the greatest possible number of human casualties. Al-Hammami admitted he acted alone, without the involvement of others, and provided a detailed confession in the presence of his lawyer, according to al Shamsi.

Investigators examined Flydubai's recruiting procedures and found that al-Hammami met all professional and security requirements, including holding a pilot's license and providing a certificate of good conduct. However, none of these procedures revealed any indications of his extremist views or his intention to carry out a terrorist plot, al Shamsi said.

Al-Hammami had previously worked with Oman's national airline as a trainee in 2024 but was removed from flying duties due to concerns about potential radical group influence, subsequently being moved to an administrative job. He was later hired by Flydubai in January of the current year. Royal Air Maroc confirmed that al-Hammami underwent three months of training with the airline in 2025, but his subsequent application to work there was rejected. Al-Hammami was born in the UAE, and his mother is Syrian, while he obtained Omani nationality from his father.