Flydubai hijack suspect trained at UK flight schools in Southampton and Bournemouth
Hamam al-Hammami, 29, accused of attacking his captain with an axe on an Israel-bound flight, trained as a pilot in Britain between 2018 and 2019.
Flydubai hijack suspect completed pilot training at UK aviation centres
Hamam al-Hammami, 29, the co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack a Flydubai passenger flight bound for Israel, trained at one of Britain's largest flight schools, aol.co.uk reports.
Al-Hammami is understood to have studied with L3 Airline Academy — a pilot-training company with centres in England that has since become part of Acron Aviation — between 2018 and 2019. Training facilities linked to the company include major sites in Southampton and Bournemouth, as well as a simulator centre near Gatwick.
The Omani national is currently being held in Abu Dhabi following an incident on Wednesday, which authorities have described as an attempted jihadist terror attack. He is accused of attacking the aircraft's pilot with an axe before crew members and passengers intervened to overpower him. According to Israeli reports, al-Hammami had planned to seize the aircraft and crash it into a target in Tel Aviv, in a plot authorities have compared to the September 11 attacks.
New Zealand police confirmed on Tuesday that al-Hammami was granted a six-month student visa to undertake flight training there between November 2018 and May 2019, for a UK-based company no longer operating in New Zealand. During that period, L3 Airline Academy ran a training programme at a flying school in Hamilton. It has also been confirmed that he undertook some training in Australia.
A now-deleted social media account believed to be linked to al-Hammami, under the handle @PilotHamam, documented his training and time in Britain. A 2022 post on the account stated he had "studied in Australia, Britain and New Zealand for five years," describing those years abroad as "the golden years of my religious commitment." He added that he became less observant upon returning to Oman. Other posts on the account expressed support for strict Islamic expectations around marriage and dress, and included discussion of women being "stomped on" and given a "pre-emptive slap."
Following the incident, it has been reported that Oman Air removed al-Hammami from flight training due to concerns about his radical views, transferring him to a different role.
There is no suggestion that L3 Airline Academy or its successor companies, including Acron Aviation, were involved in any wrongdoing. Acron Aviation declined to comment on al-Hammami's attendance specifically. A spokesman said: "We were saddened to hear of this incident, and our thoughts are with everyone affected. As a matter of policy, we do not publicly comment on whether any individual is or has been a student with us. We will, of course, assist the relevant authorities, if necessary, in any way we can as they investigate this incident."
Source: The Sun