The co-pilot who has been accused of trying to hijack a Flydubai plane enrolled at a British university, it has been revealed.
Omani national Hammam Al-Hammami, 29, attempted to carry out a “terrorist” attack during the flight after he is said to have struck the pilot with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft, the United Arab Emirates’ prosecutor general said this morning.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Al-Hammami was banned from flying last year due to concerns over his radical ideological views.
He is also said to have been working at Flydubai for just eight months, according to an Israeli official.
However, it has now emerged that he attended Buckinghamshire New University, where he took part in a three-year learning course in aviation management.
Al-Hammami completed a distance-learning course and graduated from the university in 2023, though he did not take pilot training at the university, a spokesman told GB News.
“Our thoughts are with the injured pilot, crew and passengers involved in this incident,” the spokesman added.
His LinkedIn profile shows he previously worked at Oman Air while studying at the university. According to CNN, he was removed from his role over concerns about his extremist ideology.
The co-pilot who has been accused of trying to hijack a Flydubai plane enrolled at a British university, it has been revealed
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LINKEDIN: HAMMAM AL-HAMMAMI
It has now emerged Hammam Al-Hammami attended Buckinghamshire New University, where he took part in a three-year learning course in aviation management
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The outlet also claims to have seen deleted social media posts from Al-Hammami, in which he bemoans not being able to find a wife who will wear a niqab and stop working after marriage.
ABC News report the 29-year-old had allegedly been found in possession of extremist material during his time as a trainee pilot, and Al Arabiya say Omani authorities believe he may have spent time in Syria, where he could have been influenced by radical groups.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, September 30, when Flydubai Flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 182 people on board, diverted over Jordanian airspace towards Saudi Arabia after suddenly plunging over 14,000ft in less than 30 seconds.
Passengers and crew, including an off-duty British pilot, managed to tie up and stop the alleged attacker before stabilising and landing the jet.
READ MORE ON THE FLYDUBAI HIJACKING:
All passengers, including Al-Hammami, who is now in custody in Saudi Arabia, survived the incident.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Daily Mail he was “amazed” by the bravery of the passengers on board.
Horrifying videos circulating online appear to show the passengers gaining entry into the cockpit, where the pilot, Smit Machchhar, had been stabbed.
Distressing footage depicts the captain bloodied and clutching his chest, as passengers applied pressure to the wound.
Horrifying videos circulating online appear to show the passengers gaining entry into the cockpit, where the pilot, Smit Machchhar, had been stabbed
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It also appears to show Al-Hammami tied up and receiving oxygen.
Speaking to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a video call, Mr Machchhar described how, despite his injuries, he was able to open the door from the inside and allow passengers to enter the cockpit.
“I was lying on the floor injured but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside,” he explained.
“Others came in and also played a role [in controlling the situation].
“I was of course fighting for my own life but at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die.”
The Indian embassy in the UAE said yesterday that Capt Machchhar was “in good health and recovering well”.
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