As the days pass since the attempted terror attack on a Fly Dubai flight to Israel, new details continue to emerge painting a disturbing picture of cascading failures that could have prevented the incident. Fresh investigations reveal that co-pilot Hamam al-Hamami, who according to UAE authorities attempted to carry out a terror attack, left behind a long trail of warning signs—yet still managed to reach the cockpit of a flight bound for Israel.
Among the findings: videos posted to his social media accounts showing El Al aircraft alongside images of former al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, as well as another video depicting Mecca, Medina, and the Temple Mount connected by a graphic line. According to reports, the videos were later deleted, but they join dozens of extremist statements found in his online posts.
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2+An analysis of more than 3,000 posts he wrote identified 43 unusual statements, including threats, expressions of hatred, insults, and extremist content. Jon Avnon, CEO of Red Valley, said this was someone who displayed violent and extremist behavioral patterns over time that should have raised significant suspicion.
According to reports in the United States, Oman Air had already identified the warning signs during his employment. Following concerns about ideological radicalization, he was removed from flight duties, transferred to an office role, and even participated in a de-radicalization program. However, the information did not lead to revocation of his pilot’s license and was not passed along in a way that could prevent his subsequent employment. After leaving the company, he was hired by Fly Dubai and began operating flights, including on the route to Israel.
2+The reports also reveal that a series of failures enabled him to continue. According to The Wall Street Journal, Fly Dubai did not contact Oman Air to obtain information about the pilot’s background before hiring him. Meanwhile, UAE authorities are examining the process of his recruitment by the company, while in Israel it’s claimed that the Transportation Ministry relied on the airline’s declarations regarding background checks and did not conduct an independent review of crew members.
In Israel, criticism is also focused on the oversight mechanism for foreign air crews. According to reports, airlines submit crew lists to authorities in advance, but the Transportation Ministry said it had not been using the database for background checks, relying instead on foreign airlines to conduct the screening themselves. Former security officials argued that his boarding could have been prevented at a much earlier stage.
Investigations in the UAE, Israel, and other countries are still ongoing, examining how someone who raised red flags on multiple occasions ultimately managed to reach the cockpit of a flight headed to Israel.