FlyDubai co-pilot accused in axe attack was earlier barred over extremist views

A FlyDubai co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with a cockpit axe on an Israel-bound flight. The near-disaster has triggered scrutiny of pilot vetting and possible extremist links.

In Short

• The captain opened the cockpit door despite severe injuries during the assault
• Passengers and crew rushed in, restrained the attacker, and steadied the aircraft
• The plane landed in Saudi Arabia after a plunge damaged the rudder

Officials said on Saturday that the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight with an axe and trying to seize the controls was an Omani national who had earlier been barred from flying for his country’s airline over concerns about extremist views.

The United Arab Emirates, which is leading the investigation, said the co-pilot launched a "terrorist attack" on Wednesday using the cockpit’s crash axe and tried to take control of the sharply descending aircraft. The flight, carrying 182 people, nearly crashed before passengers and others rushed in, overpowered him and helped stabilise the plane.

The co-pilot has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, according to three people with knowledge of the matter, including a Gulf and a Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. The new details have raised questions about how he came to be on the flight. Israel’s government has said it has agreements with foreign carriers to keep pilots from countries that do not have diplomatic ties with Israel from flying there. Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic relations.

Separately, a regional official and a person familiar with the matter said the co-pilot had been barred from flying by Oman over concerns that he had adopted extremist views. The official said he was moved to an administrative role at Oman Air. The person familiar with the matter said he was later hired by UAE-based FlyDubai. It was not immediately clear how thoroughly he had been vetted. The regional official said the co-pilot was born in the UAE and that his mother is Syrian. How he obtained Omani nationality was not immediately clear. The official also said security agencies from four countries in the region were working to establish his motive, with help from the United States and other Western governments. The Gulf diplomat said investigators were trying to establish whether he acted alone or "has any connection with any extremist groups".

A FlyDubai spokesperson said in an email that the airline could not comment beyond its official statements and acknowledged that "there are many questions at this stage". There was no immediate comment from Oman Air, and Oman’s government has not responded publicly to repeated questions since the incident. The case is also seen as a test for the UAE government, which has built a reputation for strong action against extremist activity but has also pushed back in the past against criticism of security failures. Airlines are generally required to carry crash axes in the cockpit for emergencies, including breaking a window for escape or opening a panel to reach a fire. The axes are usually kept where crew can reach them, but not passengers.

Little else was immediately known about the co-pilot’s background. His Instagram account remained active until the day of the flight and was then deleted. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the co-pilot had undergone "Islamist radicalisation", but gave no evidence. There was no immediate comment on Saturday from Israel’s government. The captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, who was badly wounded, said he used his remaining strength during the attack to unlock the cockpit door, allowing people who had heard alarming and unusual sounds to enter, tackle the co-pilot and steady the aircraft. The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after such a steep descent that part of the rudder was torn away, and aviation experts have said it was remarkable that it did not crash. Both the captain and the co-pilot were later taken to the UAE, while the passengers, most of them Israeli, flew home later on Wednesday on a separate plane. Overall, the investigation is now focused on the co-pilot’s background, how he was cleared to fly, and whether he had any wider links as authorities piece together how the attack nearly ended in disaster.

With PTI Inputs

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