Flydubai hijack attempt linked to extremist online posts praising violence

Hamam al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national, posted thousands of extremist messages on X between November 2021 and August 2022 while studying aviation management remotely at Buckinghamshire New University in the United Kingdom. The posts included threats to women, anti-Jewish and anti-LGBT rhetoric, and praise for violent actions. On a flydubai flight heading to Israel, al-Hammami entered the cockpit and stabbed captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe, attempting to take over the aircraft.

Passengers intervened, preventing a disaster and allowing the plane, with 182 occupants, to land safely. Israeli authorities have linked his social-media activity to jihadist radicalisation and noted his calls for killing Jews. The incident highlights the danger of online extremist propaganda translating into real-world terrorism.