On Wednesday, a Flydubai pilot identified as Hamam al-Hammami attempted to hijack a commercial aircraft en route to Israel. The incident, which saw the plane drop 14,000 feet in less than half a minute, was thwarted by the crew and passengers after al-Hammami attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with a cockpit axe.
A blueprint for a 9/11-style sttrike on Tel Aviv
Interrogation details suggest that the hijacking was not a spontaneous act of rage but a meticulously planned mission . According to a source speaking to The Jerusalem Post, al-Hammami "dreamed" of crashing the aircraft into Ben-Gurion Airport to cause mass casualties. The pilot's ambitions extended beyond the airport; he reportedly considered targeting the Azrieli Towers in central Tel Aviv to strike near the Kirya, Israel's military headquarters.
As reported by the Italian outlet Corriere Della Sera, the intended attack was designed to mimic the September 11 terrorist strikes on the World Trade Center. Al-Hammami allegedly planned to kill Captain Smit Machchhar from behind a locked cockpit door, allowing him to fly the plane toward Israel undetected. To minimize the chance of interception by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the pilot reportedly intended to initiate the final descent while over Jordan, leaving almost no time for fighter jets to intervene.
Red flags from Buckinghamshire New University to Oman Air
The trajectory of al-Hammami’s radicalization appears to have left a trail of warnings that failed to prevent his employment in the aviation industry. After completing a three-year aviation degree at Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) in 2023, al-Hammami began working as a trainee with Oman Air in 2024. However, officials at Oman Air reportedly removed him from flying duties and reassigned him to an administrative role due to concerns regarding radical influences stemming from his time in Syria.
Social media activity further underscores his extremist leanings .. Deleted posts from an account linked to the pilot contained violent rhetoric toward women and drew parallels between domestic violence and international conflict, specifically comparing a "pre-emptive slap" to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Even following the hijacking attempt, digital footprints appeared to link him to extremist imagery, including photos of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
The 29-second descent and Captain Machchhar’s defense
The physical struggle for control of the Flydubai aircraft was both violent and brief. During the hijacking attempt, the plane plummeted 14,000 feet in a terrifying 29-second window. Captain Smit Machchhar was severely wounded when al-Hammami used an onboard crash axe to attack him in an attempt to seize control of the cockpit.
The aircraft, which showed flight details corresponding to a route typically traveling from Dubai to Muscat, was eventually stabilized through the collective efforts of the crew and passengers. These individuals grappled with al-Hammami, preventing him from executing his intended flight path into the Tel Aviv skyline.
The mystery of the July intelligence mission
While authorities are currently treating al-Hammami as a "lone wolf," several aspects of his preparation remain unverified. investigators are looking into a trip al-Hammami made to Ben-Gurion Airport in July, which is believed to have been a reconnaissance mission to gather intelligence for his plot.. He had reportedly aborted a previous attempt during that month only because a crew member he knew was on board.
Significant questions remain regarding the efficacy of airline vetting processes. It is currently unclear how al-Hammami was able to secure pilot positions at multiple airlines despite the red flags raised during his tenure at Oman Air. Furthermore, the full extent of his connections to radical groups in Syria has yet to be fully detailed by official investigative bodies.
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