- His radicalization traced to 2017 studies in Australia.
The co-pilot accused of assaulting the captain of a flydubai passenger flight allegedly planned to seize control of the aircraft and crash it into Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, the United Arab Emirates’ top prosecutor has disclosed. The alleged plan was revealed on Friday by UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi as investigators continued examining the September 30 incident.
The accused, a 29-year-old Omani national identified by foreign media as Hamam al-Hammami, allegedly made preparations for an aviation-based suicide attack targeting the international airport’s passenger terminal. The incident involved flight FZ1073, whose captain, Smit Machchhar, was allegedly attacked by the co-pilot.
Tel Aviv Airport Was The Target
According to the UAE prosecution, al-Hammami had allegedly studied the intended target and flight route before attempting to carry out the plan. Investigators said he had operated two earlier flights to Tel Aviv, which he allegedly used to familiarise himself with the route and the airport.
Authorities believe these trips formed part of preparations for the alleged attack on September 30. The investigation is examining how the accused intended to take control of the aircraft and execute the plan.
The allegations, disclosed by Al Shamsi, add a new dimension to the case, which initially came to attention following the reported attack on the flight’s captain.
September 11 Attacks Influence
Investigators said the accused drew inspiration from the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Centre in the United States. According to a confession shared by investigators, he became increasingly interested in replicating an operation involving an aircraft.
“The idea of carrying out a similar operation using an aircraft became firmly established in his thinking,” the statement said.
Prosecutors alleged that al-Hammami embraced extremist ideas advocating violence and terrorism. Investigators also said he attempted to prepare himself both mentally and physically, including by consuming more material promoting terrorist organisations and training in boxing with a private coach.
The UAE authorities are examining these alleged preparations as part of their investigation into the accused’s intentions and the circumstances surrounding the September 30 incident.
Radicalisation During Australian Studies
The UAE prosecution traced the alleged radicalisation to 2017, when al-Hammami was studying in Australia. Al Shamsi said the process began during his time at RMIT University in Melbourne, where he was reportedly exposed to hardline takfiri ideology.
According to the UAE account, extremist literature and online material glorifying terrorist groups and suicide attacks influenced his thinking.
The statement was published on UAE government social media platforms and was first reported by the state-run Emirati news agency WAM.
RMIT University confirmed on Monday that al-Hammami had attended its Melbourne campus. However, the university said he “did not successfully complete an engineering qualification”.
Guardian Australia sought additional comments from the university on Saturday. Australian security agencies also opened an investigation last weekend after information emerged that al-Hammami had spent approximately two years in Australia as a student, leaving in 2017.
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Airline Career Under Scrutiny
Investigators have also reviewed the accused’s employment history across several airlines. He reportedly worked for Oman Air between 2020 and 2024 before joining Royal Air Maroc in early 2025, where he remained for several months.
He subsequently moved to flydubai in January 2026.
Authorities are also examining al-Hammami’s account of his activities in Melbourne, including his reported visits to a mosque affiliated with RMIT. He allegedly told investigators that he met individuals connected to a centre known as “My Centre”.
According to his account, the centre was operated by a Lebanese man known as “Abu Hamza” and received backing from an association linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.
