The name of the Indian pilot who has been hailed by world leaders and people around the globe is Captain Smit Machchhar and that was known from day-1 of the flyDubai flight incident.
But many have questioned why the identity of the co-pilot who allegedly attacked Smit was kept under wraps by Saudi Arabia, the UAE or Israel. Now, the co-pilot’s name has reportedly been revealed. Here are the details.
The terrorist co-pilot involved in the flydubai incident has been identified as Omani national Hamam Alhammami.
It is known that he attacked Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar during the flight. The incident caused the aircraft to descend rapidly. Crew members and trainee pilots intervened. The off duty pilots in the cabin eventually regained control.
The aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia. It landed safely. Authorities are investigating the incident and Alhammami’s background.
Investigators are examining Alhammami’s deleted social-media accounts. Reports say some posts showed support for al-Qaeda figures. Other posts reportedly expressed strongly conservative and misogynistic views.
Some posts criticised women working in mixed-gender environments. However, the authenticity of some accounts and posts has not been independently confirmed. Investigators are also examining whether some content was posted earlier or scheduled.
Reports say Alhammami had previously been removed from flying duties in Oman. The reported reason was concern over alleged extremist views. He later worked in an administrative role. He also reportedly worked with Royal Air Maroc before joining flydubai.
The investigation is examining his employment history. Authorities are also looking into how he returned to commercial aviation. The case remains under investigation.
