Ax-Wielding FlyDubai Co-Pilot Had Been Flagged over Extremism Concerns
Investigators are examining whether the Omani co-pilot had extremist ties after 182 people survived the midair attack and emergency landing.
- On Wednesday, a FlyDubai co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash ax and attempted to seize control of a flight carrying 182 people, prompting the UAE to investigate the incident as a 'terrorist attack.'
- Officials identified the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national previously barred from flying by Oman Air over extremist concerns, yet FlyDubai hired him despite the prior red flag.
- The incident raised questions about FlyDubai's vetting practices and how al-Hammami bypassed Israel's strict security protocols, despite Israeli agreements restricting pilots from nations without formal diplomatic ties to Israel and Oman.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that al-Hammami underwent 'Islamist radicalization,' but provided no evidence; investigators from four regional countries and Western governments found no militant group connections.
- The attack occurred a week before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack anniversary amid an Israeli election focused on security failures, while al-Hammami's background included Syria travel and rejections from Royal Air Maroc and Buckinghamshire New University's aviation programs.
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He was fired from Omani airlines for his extremist ideology
Rocky Mountain Outlook
thealbertan.comAx-wielding FlyDubai co-pilot had been flagged over extremism concerns
CAIRO (AP) — The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of an Israel-bound flight with an ax and trying to seize the controls was an Omani national who had been barred from flying on his country’s airline because of concerns about extremist view
noticiasdealava.eus
The investigation into the incident on the Flydubai aircraft continues and more information about the co-pilot who allegedly intended to crash the plane in Tel Aviv begins to be known. Saudi media Al Arabiya claims that Hamam al-Hammami was disqualified from flying in Oman, his country of origin, after discovering the Omani authorities that he had "extremist ideas."
The airline Royal Air Maroc clarified this Saturday that the co-pilot of the Flydubai plane, accused of attacking the pilot during a flight between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv, was not part of his workforce. According to a statement released by the Moroccan official agency MAP, the professional only performed a training in 2025 [...] The entry Terrorist attack with an axe in the cabin: Royal Air Maroc denies having hired the co-pilot of Flydubai appe…
Following reports from some media that the co-pilot involved in the Flydubai flight incident had previously worked for Royal Air Maroc, the national company stated that the person concerned had completed three months of theoretical training in 2025, prior to any possible employment. At the end of this training, his candidacy had been rejected, Royal Air Maroc stated in a press release, thus clearly distinguishing between this training period and…
The pilot of the Flydubai aircraft that would have attacked, Wednesday, September 30, the commander of the aircraft completed theoretical training at Royal Air Morocco (RAM) in 2025, but was never employed by the Moroccan airline, said this Saturday.
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