An Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight with a cockpit axe and attempting to seize control had previously been barred from flying for Oman Air over concerns about alleged extremist views, officials said.
The co-pilot was identified as Hamam al-Hammami by three people familiar with the matter, including a Gulf diplomat and a Western diplomat. They spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to discuss the investigation publicly.
The United Arab Emirates, which is leading the inquiry, has described Wednesday’s incident as a “terrorist attack”. The aircraft, carrying 182 people, entered a dangerous descent before passengers and others overpowered the co-pilot.
The allegations have raised questions about how thoroughly FlyDubai vetted al-Hammami and how he was able to serve on a flight carrying mainly Israeli passengers despite Israel’s strict security arrangements for foreign airlines.
Co-pilot moved to administrative role at Oman Air
A regional official and another person familiar with the matter said al-Hammami had been prevented from flying for Oman Air after concerns that he had adopted extremist views. He was instead moved to an administrative position, according to the official.
Neither source provided details of the views in question. The same person said al-Hammami was later employed by FlyDubai, although it remains unclear how extensively he was assessed before being hired.
A Gulf diplomat said the co-pilot had undergone standard security checks. However, the diplomat said those checks appeared to have concentrated on whether he had a criminal conviction rather than examining his background for possible signs of radicalisation.
Security agencies from four countries in the region are now working to establish the motive, with help from the United States and other Western governments, the regional official said. Investigators are also examining whether al-Hammami acted alone or had links to an extremist group.
The official said al-Hammami was born in the UAE and that his mother was Syrian. He obtained Omani nationality through his father, who was also Omani, and had travelled to Syria, though no further details were given.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization”, but offered no evidence. There was no immediate response from the Israeli government on Saturday.
Oman Air has not publicly commented on the repeated questions about al-Hammami. A FlyDubai spokesman said the airline could not go beyond its official statements, adding that “there are many questions at this stage”.
Royal Air Maroc said al-Hammami had completed a three-month theoretical training course with the airline in 2025 as part of its recruitment process, but was not selected for employment. Buckinghamshire New University said he had completed a distance-learning aviation management course, but had not undertaken pilot training there.
His Instagram account was active until the day of the flight and was then deleted.
Captain injured in cockpit struggle
The captain was badly wounded during the assault but managed to use his remaining strength to unlock the cockpit door. People who had heard alarming noises entered, tackled the co-pilot and helped stabilise the aircraft as passengers screamed.
Airlines are generally required to carry crash axes in the cockpit. They can be used in an emergency to break a window for escape or open a panel to reach a fire.
The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a descent so severe that part of its rudder was torn away. FlyDubai said crew members who had been travelling on the aircraft helped bring it under control and land safely.
Both the captain and al-Hammami were later taken to the UAE. The passengers, most of them Israeli, returned home on a separate aircraft later on Wednesday.
The incident took place a week before the anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on October 7 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza, and weeks before a closely contested election in which security and failures surrounding October 7 have been central issues.
