Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
An Omani citizen, Hamam al-Hammami, has been identified by multiple media outlets as the flydubai co-pilot who attacked Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and allegedly tried to take control of a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight this week. The UAE, which is leading the investigation, said on Saturday its inquiry had found that the co-pilot attempted to carry out a “terrorist act”.
The attack took place on flydubai flight FZ1073 on Wednesday. According to reports, al-Hammami attacked Machchhar inside the cockpit with a crash axe, seriously injuring him, after which the aircraft, carrying 174 passengers, sent emergency signals and dropped more than 17,000 feet from 34,000 feet before landing safely in Saudi Arabia.
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The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported on Saturday that al-Hammami had earlier been barred from flying in Oman over concerns about his radical ideological views. Several other publications, including CNN, also identified him, though his identity has not been officially confirmed. “The alleged attacker is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami,” the WSJ report said.
CNN, citing two sources and an Israeli official, said al-Hammami was born in the UAE to an Omani father and a Syrian mother and had spent several years in the UAE. It also cited a regional diplomat as saying he was removed from flight training because of concerns over his radical views and was later given another role at Oman’s national airline. It was not immediately clear how thoroughly he was vetted before being hired by flydubai. News reports citing sources said he had been working for the airline for about eight months.
The BBC reported, citing Buckinghamshire New University in the UK, that al-Hammami completed a three-year distance-learning course in aviation management there and graduated in 2023. The university said he did not receive any pilot training at the institution.
According to the BBC, Machchhar was lying injured on the cockpit floor when he realised the plane was descending and decided to make “one last push” to open the cockpit door. That allowed passengers to overpower the attacker. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said an Israeli woman, Tali Manes, first raised the alarm after hearing a commotion from the cockpit. Her husband and three other men then entered the cockpit after the captain managed to open the door despite his injuries. Two reserve pilots then landed the aircraft safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where al-Hammami was taken into custody.
UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot attacked the captain inside the flight deck with a crash axe and tried to take control of the aircraft. He said investigations were continuing to establish the full circumstances, the motive and any links related to the incident. The motive for the attack remains unclear.
On Friday, Machchhar, who is being treated at a hospital in the UAE, spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone and recounted the moments after the attack, saying he was fighting for his life but was determined not to let others die. The Indian Embassy in the UAE said on Saturday that the pilot was in stable condition and was “recovering well”. “We are in touch with his family and local authorities, extending support for a speedy recovery. Our thanks to UAE gov. for their care. We join well-wishers in praying for his good health,” it said in a social media post.
Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum visited Machchhar in hospital on Saturday and praised his courage and sense of responsibility. Hamdan, who is also the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, said the pilot had “embodied the highest degrees of courage, responsibility, and care for human life”. “From us, and from the leadership of the nation, he has our full appreciation and praise,” he said. “We are proud that he is part of our team part of the story of our nation and part of what the UAE stands for a nation of compassion a nation of peace and a nation of life.”
Machchhar has also been praised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called him a “true hero”. In an interview with CNN on Wednesday evening, Netanyahu said the injured pilot, passengers and crew had “managed to prevent a 9/11 disaster”. Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, he said the attacker shouted “Kill me, kill me!” after being subdued. Netanyahu said the remark suggested the attacker was suicidal and that it appeared he had intended to bring down the plane.
The incident has drawn attention to the actions of the injured Indian captain, the crew and passengers who helped stop the attack, even as investigators in the UAE continue to examine the full circumstances, motive and possible links behind the alleged attempt to seize control of the aircraft.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
