Flydubai co-pilot was previously barred from flying in Oman over extremeism concerns

The Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv had previously been barred from flying in his home country over concerns about extremist views, according to people familiar with the matter.

The revelation has raised fresh questions about the vetting of airline personnel and the sharing of security information between aviation authorities after the September 30 incident left a passenger aircraft in a steep descent before it was diverted to Saudi Arabia.

The suspect has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national. The Associated Press reported on Saturday that a person familiar with the matter said Oman had previously prohibited him from flying because of concerns that he had adopted extremist views.

The Wall Street Journal and CNN have separately reported that the pilot had been removed from a role at Oman’s national airline amid concerns about his ideological views.

The incident occurred aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with more than 170 people on board.

According to Reuters, the aircraft experienced two sudden descents while flying over Saudi Arabia, losing more than 16,000 feet in roughly 30 seconds during the first plunge.

Israeli officials said the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and attempted to bring the aircraft down. The injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and restrain the suspect.

Two off-duty pilots who were travelling as passengers subsequently assisted with controlling the aircraft. The flight eventually landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.

The captain, identified as Indian national Smit Machchhar, sustained injuries in the confrontation.

The pilot’s employment history is now a major focus of the investigation.

Reports citing people familiar with the matter said he had previously been prevented from flying in Oman after concerns were raised about extremist views. Some reports said he was subsequently allowed to continue working in a non-flying or administrative capacity.

The information has prompted questions about how those concerns were handled when he later obtained employment with Flydubai.

It remains unclear from the publicly available information whether the concerns identified in Oman were formally communicated to Flydubai or other aviation authorities before his recruitment.

Neither Flydubai nor the Omani government has publicly confirmed all details surrounding the pilot’s previous employment and security history.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack, including whether it was motivated by extremist ideology and whether the suspect acted alone.

Reuters reported that Israeli authorities are preparing to question the co-pilot as part of the investigation, while the UAE is leading a broader probe involving Israeli officials.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the suspect appeared to have undergone radical Islamist indoctrination. However, investigators have not publicly established a final motive or confirmed that the incident was directed by an extremist organisation.

The distinction is important because the investigation is still examining whether the attack was an attempted act of terrorism, a planned attempt to crash the aircraft, or another form of violent cockpit assault.

The incident has intensified scrutiny of how airlines assess pilots and how security agencies share information when aviation personnel move between employers and countries.

Israel has already announced plans to strengthen checks on pilots operating flights into the country following the incident. Reuters reported that the measures are intended to increase scrutiny of flight crews arriving in Israel.

The case also highlights the potential security challenge posed by an insider threat: unlike ordinary passengers, pilots have authorised access to aircraft cockpits and play a central role in controlling the aircraft.

Investigators are therefore expected to examine the suspect’s recruitment by Flydubai, his previous employment record, security assessments, training history and the handling of information about his earlier flying restrictions.

For now, authorities have not released a final conclusion on the motive behind the attack. The investigation remains ongoing as officials work to establish how the suspect was able to return to commercial flying and what led to the confrontation aboard the Flydubai aircraft.