FlyDubai attack: who is Oman's Hamam Hamani, the co-pilot

The co-pilot of a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv attacked the captain with an emergency axe on Wednesday and tried to seize control of the aircraft, but was overpowered by passengers and part of the crew; the plane landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. According to Reuters, the attacker was 29-year-old Omani citizen Hamam Hamani, although UAE authorities and the airline itself have not officially confirmed his identity.

Who is the attacker

According to CNN, Hamani was born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and a Syrian mother. Buckinghamshire New University, a British institution, confirmed over the weekend that Hamani had completed a three-year distance-learning course in aviation management with them and received his diploma in 2023. “Hamam Hamani completed a distance-learning course in aviation management with us. He did not undergo any pilot training at the university,” a university spokesperson said.

The British newspaper The Telegraph analysed more than 2,000 posts from 2021–2022 on a social media account that, according to the paper, was closely linked to Hamani. The posts included statements supporting violence against women and harsh corporal punishment justified by religion, posted during the very period when Hamani was studying at the British institution. The university said no complaints or concerns had arisen during his studies, but that in light of the new information it now intends to re-examine that period of his life. Hamani studied remotely and, according to The Telegraph, most likely took the course from Muscat, Oman.

What was found in Australia

Another part of Hamani's past is linked to Australia. According to the British broadcaster BBC, he obtained a student visa in 2014 and studied in the country from 2015 to 2017; the visa was cancelled in 2019 after he was no longer enrolled at any educational institution. According to two Reuters sources, the attacker studied at a university in Melbourne, while a third source said specifically at RMIT University.

Britain's Financial Times, citing two sources familiar with the investigation, reported that while living in Australia, Hamani visited radical mosques and extremist websites, and that Australian intelligence agencies kept a file on him. A joint counterterrorism team — the federal police, Victoria state police and the ASIO intelligence agency — is now investigating his ties to Australia. According to ABC News, investigators are also examining the possibility that Hamani's radicalisation took place specifically during his time in the country.

The road to FlyDubai via Oman Air

Doubts about Hamani's fitness had arisen before, during his time at the Omani airline Oman Air. CNN, citing sources, reported that he was removed from flight training over concerns about radical views and given another position instead. According to the Financial Times and other outlets, in 2024 Oman banned him from flying for security reasons.

One FlyDubai pilot, who said he had worked with Hamani, told Israel's Channel 16 that he was a “religious extremist”: according to him, Hamani prayed frequently and refused to shake women's hands, though this testimony could not be independently verified. After leaving Oman Air, Hamani completed three months of training at Morocco's Royal Air Maroc in 2025; the airline told Reuters that he then applied for a job but was not hired. After that, according to media reports, he went to work for FlyDubai.

What is known about the investigation

The investigation into the incident, which took place on Wednesday aboard flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, is being led by the United Arab Emirates, with other countries now also involved. According to preliminary findings from Israeli investigators, Hamani likely acted alone, but all theories remain under review.

Source: novinky.cz