DUBAI/TEL AVIV, Oct 3 – An Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the captain with an axe aboard an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight had previously been removed from flying duties at Oman Air over concerns about alleged extremist views, according to officials familiar with the investigation. The revelations have raised questions about airline recruitment procedures, the sharing of security information between countries and how the pilot was permitted to operate a flight carrying 182 people, most of them Israeli passengers.
The co-pilot was identified as Hamam al-Hammami by three people familiar with the case, including a Gulf diplomat and a Western diplomat. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation publicly.
The incident occurred on Wednesday when the flight was traveling toward Israel. Investigators in the United Arab Emirates said the co-pilot used an axe kept inside the cockpit to attack the captain before attempting to take control of the aircraft. UAE authorities described the incident as a terrorist attack.
The aircraft reportedly entered a dangerous descent during the confrontation, putting everyone on board at risk. Passengers and other people aboard the plane eventually intervened, helping subdue the accused co-pilot and assisting the injured captain. The aircraft subsequently made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The episode has prompted scrutiny of the checks conducted by FlyDubai before hiring pilots, particularly whether information about previous employment restrictions and potential security concerns had been adequately examined. It has also raised questions about the procedures governing foreign pilots operating flights into Israel.
Co-pilot reportedly lost flying duties at Oman Air
Two people familiar with the matter, a regional official and another individual with knowledge of the case, said al-Hammami had previously been barred from flying for Oman Air because of concerns that he had adopted extremist views. According to the regional official, he was subsequently transferred to an administrative position at the Omani airline.
Neither person provided details about the alleged views or explained what evidence had prompted the decision. The precise circumstances surrounding his removal from flying duties remain unclear, and the allegations have not been independently established.
The individual familiar with the matter said al-Hammami was later hired by FlyDubai, a UAE-based airline. The available information did not establish how extensively the airline investigated his professional history or whether it had access to the concerns reportedly raised during his earlier employment.
A Gulf diplomat said the co-pilot had undergone standard security screening before joining FlyDubai. However, the diplomat suggested that the checks may have concentrated on criminal convictions rather than a more extensive examination of possible signs of radicalization.
The distinction has become a central issue in the investigation. Routine background checks and broader security assessments can involve different types of information, and the case has raised questions about whether relevant concerns were identified, communicated and properly evaluated before the pilot was assigned to a commercial flight.
The regional official said security agencies from four countries in the region were working to establish the co-pilot’s motive, with assistance from the United States and other Western governments. Investigators were examining whether he acted alone or had connections to extremist organizations, according to the Gulf diplomat.
Al-Hammami was reportedly born in the United Arab Emirates, while his mother is Syrian. The circumstances under which he obtained Omani nationality have not been established publicly.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the co-pilot had undergone what he described as Islamist radicalization. Netanyahu did not provide supporting evidence for the assertion, and Israeli officials had not issued an additional public response by Saturday.
The UAE is leading the investigation. The country has developed a reputation for taking a firm approach toward extremist activity, although its handling of security matters has also faced criticism in the past. Investigators have yet to publicly explain how the co-pilot’s employment history was assessed or whether authorities in the countries involved had shared information about him.
Flight raises questions about airline recruitment and Israeli security
The incident has placed renewed attention on the security arrangements governing flights to Israel, particularly those operated by foreign airlines whose employees may come from countries that do not maintain formal diplomatic relations with the Israeli government.
Israel has said it maintains agreements with foreign carriers intended to prevent pilots from countries without diplomatic ties from flying into the country. Oman and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations, making questions about the co-pilot’s eligibility and the relevant screening arrangements especially significant.
It remains unclear how those arrangements were applied to the FlyDubai flight or whether Israeli authorities had access to information about the co-pilot’s previous employment at Oman Air. Investigators have not publicly explained whether the incident exposed a gap in the existing procedures or whether the relevant authorities had been unaware of the concerns reportedly raised in Oman.
FlyDubai said in an emailed statement that it could not comment beyond its official statements while the investigation continued. The airline acknowledged that many questions remained unanswered. Oman Air did not immediately respond publicly to requests for comment, while the Omani government had not issued a substantive response to repeated questions about the case.
Additional information about al-Hammami’s professional background has emerged from institutions and airlines with which he previously had contact.
Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s national airline, said the co-pilot completed a three-month theoretical training period with the company in 2025 as part of its pre-employment process. In a statement, the airline said his application was not selected for employment after the training period ended. It did not provide further details about the decision or indicate that it was connected to the current allegations.
Keith Coles, a spokesperson for Buckinghamshire New University in England, said al-Hammami had previously completed a distance-learning course in aviation management at the institution. Coles clarified that the co-pilot had not undertaken pilot training there. The university did not provide additional details about when he completed the course.
His social media activity has also attracted attention. An Instagram account associated with al-Hammami remained active until the day of the flight, when it was deleted. No publicly established explanation has been provided for the deletion, and the available information does not establish whether the account contained material relevant to the investigation.
The incident comes at a politically sensitive time for Israel, shortly before the anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza. It also occurred weeks before a contentious Israeli election in which national security and the failures surrounding the October 7 attack have remained important issues.
Captain’s injuries and emergency landing reveal the flight’s final moments
Accounts from the flight describe a confrontation inside the cockpit that quickly developed into an emergency threatening the aircraft and everyone aboard.
The captain, who suffered serious injuries during the axe attack, reportedly used his remaining strength to unlock the cockpit door while the assault was underway. This allowed people who had heard unusual and alarming sounds to enter the cockpit and intervene against the co-pilot.
Their intervention helped subdue the attacker and restore control of the aircraft. Passengers reportedly screamed as the situation unfolded, while those able to assist tried to prevent the confrontation from developing into a crash.
Commercial aircraft are generally equipped with crash axes in the cockpit. These tools are intended for emergency purposes, including breaking through certain panels or windows when necessary. In this incident, the axe was allegedly used as a weapon against the captain.
The aircraft’s descent was severe enough that part of its rudder was reportedly torn away. Despite the damage and the loss of control during the confrontation, the plane survived long enough to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The circumstances have drawn attention to the actions of those who intervened and the difficulty of stabilizing an aircraft during an onboard attack.
FlyDubai said crew members who were traveling aboard the aircraft helped stabilize the plane and bring it safely to the ground. Their identities had not been publicly disclosed at the time of the latest reports.
Both the captain and the accused co-pilot were subsequently taken to the United Arab Emirates. The passengers, most of whom were Israeli, later continued their journey home on a separate aircraft on Wednesday, where their arrival was greeted with cheers.
Although the immediate danger ended with the emergency landing, key questions remain unresolved. Investigators still need to establish the co-pilot’s motive, determine whether he had any links to extremist groups and clarify how concerns reportedly raised during his previous employment were handled.
The findings could also have implications for how airlines assess applicants who have worked for other carriers, particularly when security concerns may cross national borders. For now, authorities have not publicly provided a complete account of the screening process or explained whether any failures occurred before the flight departed.
The investigation is continuing, with officials seeking to reconstruct the events inside the cockpit and determine whether the attack was an isolated act or part of a wider threat.