The co-pilot suspected of stabbing the captain of flydubai flight FZ1073 is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami, according to three people with knowledge of the situation, AP reported. One report says he is 29, but UAE authorities have not officially confirmed his identity or background. Most of what follows comes from anonymous sources and has not been verified.
The Syria thread
Syria has emerged as a key line of inquiry. Sources cited in regional reports claim al-Hammami spent significant periods outside Oman, including time in Syria, where he was allegedly exposed to extremist ideas. Israeli media reported that investigators believe he was indoctrinated into al-Qaeda’s ideology, and that they are examining material recovered from his belongings.
Some headlines go further, calling him Omani-Syrian or mentioning a Syrian mother. I found no detailed reporting or official confirmation behind those claims. Nothing public gives dates, locations or contacts for his time in Syria, and no report I found links him to a specific group.
Career and the warning signs
AP’s sources say Oman barred him from flying over concerns that he had adopted extremist views, and that Flydubai then hired him. It is unclear how thoroughly he was vetted. Other reports say he trained with Oman Air but was moved to desk duties after government surveillance detected visits to radical websites, and that he joined Flydubai without formal vetting by the Omani government.
A LinkedIn profile under his name lists seven years at Oman Air ending in February 2025, then a stint at Royal Air Maroc from June 2025 to January 2026, with no mention of Flydubai. An Israeli official said he had worked for Flydubai for about eight months. The timeline has gaps that remain unexplained.
After the attack
Reports say the same LinkedIn profile carried two posts about nine hours after the incident, with cockpit footage of an El Al aircraft alongside imagery of al-Qaeda figures. That has not been independently verified, and it is unclear who controlled the account at the time. Another report says he told investigators he intended to crash the aircraft in Israel, and that he has been transferred to the UAE, where the investigation continues.
A Gulf diplomat told AP that investigators are trying to establish whether he acted as a “lone wolf or has any connection with any extremist groups.” Authorities have also not detailed what they knew about him, or when, before he was hired.