The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of a FlyDubai flight bound for Israel was previously barred from flying in Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views, according to reports published Friday. ABC News and the New York Post have identified the alleged attacker as Hamam Al Hammami, 29, an Omani national. ABC reported, citing senior intelligence and law enforcement officials, that he had previously been suspended from flying by Oman Air after being identified as a "security risk." A person familiar with the investigation told the that the co-pilot was prohibited from flying in his native Oman because of concerns over extremist views before later being hired by the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based airline.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation remains ongoing into the cockpit attack that forced the aircraft to divert, raising questions about aviation security in the Middle East. Officials are trying to determine how the suspect was later permitted to fly for FlyDubai and how he came to serve as first officer on a flight bound for Israel, according to ABC News. While training as a co-pilot for Oman Air in 2024, the suspect was allegedly found in possession of extremist materials and subsequently moved into an administrative role, the outlet reported.
Newsweek has not independently verified those claims. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization,” but has provided no evidence to back the assertion. The attack occurred aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
The aircraft ultimately landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after passengers and crew purportedly helped restrain the assault on the captain. Smit Machchhar, the wounded captain who has been hailed as one of the heroes of the flight, and the co-pilot were transferred on Thursday from Saudi Arabia to the UAE, the kingdom said. Machchhar is recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital.
He spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised video call Friday, describing the terror he faced after being attacked in the closed cockpit. According to reports, the captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and restrain the attacker as the Boeing 737—with 174 passengers and eight crew members, most of them Israelis—descended sharply. The passengers then purportedly wrestled the co-pilot from the cockpit and onto the floor of the main cabin where they bound his hands with headphones.
They laid the wounded pilot inches from him, and a dentist attended to his wounds. Daniel Schlichter and a dentist, Dr. Shota Musayev, both said there was no visible knife or other weapon at the front of the aircraft.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
