UAE prosecutors call Flydubai co-pilot's attack terrorism
The Emirati attorney general says the co-pilot tried to commit a terrorist act. A LinkedIn account linked to him showed images of al-Qaeda figures, but nobody has verified who posted them.
The attorney general of the United Arab Emirates says the co-pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073 tried to carry out a terrorist act on September 30. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi says Omani Hamam al Hammami, 29, struck the captain with an emergency axe and began carrying out his plan mid-flight, according to ABC News. Passengers and crew subdued him, and the plane, bound from Dubai to Tel Aviv, landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
What is new are two messages on a LinkedIn account linked to the co-pilot, since deleted. CNN reported they appeared about nine hours after the attack, according to Haaretz. One combined cockpit recordings of planes from the Israeli airlines El Al and Arkia with portraits of Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, two al-Qaeda figures. The other showed an AI-generated image of Islam's holy sites with a poem.
Authorities have not verified the account or said whether the messages are connected to the attack. Nor is it known who posted them or whether they were scheduled. This follows up on Flydubai's suspension of flights to Israel, announced by the Dubai-based airline.
Background and reactions
There is a precedent. In 2024, Oman Air grounded him after finding extremist material during his co-pilot training and moved him to administrative duties, according to ABC News. He had spent seven years at that airline, until February 2025. He then worked seven months at Royal Air Maroc and about eight at Flydubai, according to Haaretz.
On the political side, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of "Islamist radicalization," according to CBS News. He said it was "too early" to talk about Iran's involvement. U.S. President Donald Trump said "yes" when asked about possible links and cited intelligence he has not detailed. So far there is no public evidence for either position.
On Thursday he was taken to the Emirates, where he is cooperating with investigators, according to sources cited by ABC News. Still unclear: who posted the messages, how Flydubai hired him despite his record, which ABC says is being investigated, and how many people were aboard. CBS and Haaretz say 174, ABC says 182.
