Hamam al-Hammami, the 29-year-old Omani pilot accused of attempting to hijack a Flydubai passenger plane en route to Israel, received professional flight training in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, according to multiple reports. Authorities have described the incident as an attempted jihadist terror attack, after Hammami reportedly attacked the aircraft’s pilot with an axe before crew and passengers intervened. He is currently being held in Abu Dhabi.

Hammami is understood to have trained with L3 Airline Academy, one of the UK's largest pilot-training organizations, which later became part of Acron Aviation. His training reportedly took place between 2018 and 2019 at several locations in England, including main training facilities in Southampton and Bournemouth, as well as a simulator center near Gatwick Airport. Additionally, Hammami spent time in New Zealand on a six-month student visa for flight training linked to the UK-based program. L3 Airline Academy had a training arrangement connecting its UK centers with a flying school in Hamilton, New Zealand, where Hammami trained between November 2018 and May 2019.

Before his pilot training, Hammami studied engineering at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, from 2015 to 2017 but did not complete the course. Later, between 2020 and 2023, he undertook a distance-learning aviation management degree at Buckinghamshire New University. During this period, social media posts attributed to Hammami revealed his advocacy for strict religious views and harsh punishments, along with critical statements about women. The now-deleted Twitter account @PilotHamam, under the name "Hamam Al Hammami," included references to his life and training in Britain and New Zealand, and reflected his commitment to conservative Islamic beliefs. He described his years abroad as formative for his religious convictions but indicated he was less observant upon returning to Oman.

L3 Airline Academy and its successor, Acron Aviation, stated they had no prior indication of Hammami’s intentions and emphasized their willingness to cooperate with relevant authorities. Acron Aviation declined to confirm details of Hammami’s training but expressed sympathy for those affected by the incident. Oman Air, where Hammami was employed until February 2025, reportedly removed him from flight training due to concerns over his radical views. The airline had previously recognized L3 Airline Academy as one of its preferred pilot recruitment sources.

Israeli sources have suggested that Hammami aimed to seize control of the aircraft and crash it into a target in Tel Aviv, drawing comparisons to the September 11 attacks in the United States. However, the full motives and potential connections behind the attempted hijacking remain under investigation by authorities in the UAE and other involved countries.