Flydubai Co-Pilot's Online Activity Revealed Amidst Hijacking Attempt

The co-pilot involved in an attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv expressed violent sentiments towards women and appeared to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine in social media posts made while he was studying at a British university. Hamam al-Hammami, 29, is accused of using an onboard crash axe to attack the flight's captain, Smit Machchhar, during the incident on Wednesday.

While enrolled in a distance-learning aviation degree at Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) from which he graduated in 2023, Al-Hammami allegedly posted comments on social media that included violent threats. In one exchange, a user strongly linked to Al-Hammami reportedly told a woman, "I'd stomp on your head, wipe the floor with you, make you an example to others, and then divorce you."

Another post, made during a discussion about a man striking a woman, stated, "He gave her a pre-emptive slap so she would redefine her boundaries, just as Russia slapped Ukraine to adjust its borders." These comments appear to reference his views on domestic violence and international conflict.

Al-Hammami, an Omani national whose mother is Syrian, had previously worked as a trainee at Oman's national airline. He was reportedly moved to an administrative role after concerns arose that he might have been influenced by radical groups during time spent in Syria. He also undertook training with Royal Air Maroc in 2025, but his subsequent application to work there was rejected.

Screenshots purportedly from a deleted LinkedIn account, strongly matching Al-Hammami's identity, reportedly surfaced just nine hours after the attack. These images included clips filmed in the cockpits of Boeing 737 Max aircraft, some showing planes belonging to Israeli airlines El Al and Arkia. The posts allegedly ended with photos of Ayman al-Zawahiri, former leader of Al Qaeda, and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who carried out a suicide bombing in 2009.

Another post on the profile featured an AI-generated image of Islam's holiest sites—Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem—connected by a glowing trail, accompanied by a recited poem about rejecting humiliation and defending dignity. An Israeli official told The Times of Israel that Al-Hammami's social media accounts clearly indicated he had been radicalized into jihadist ideology and spoke of killing Jews.

Buckinghamshire New University stated that its license to sponsor international students had been suspended by the Home Office due to concerns about compliance with sponsorship duties, though the Home Office clarified this suspension was unrelated to Al-Hammami or the Flydubai incident. The university confirmed Al-Hammami did not undertake any pilot training there, with his degree focusing on aviation management, operations, logistics, and security.

Al-Hammami is accused of an attempted terrorist attack. The United Arab Emirates, leading the investigation, is working to determine if he acted alone or had connections to extremist groups. He is reported to be cooperating with authorities. The incident prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to state that the suspect had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination."