FlyDubai co-pilot accused in axe attack was barred from flying over extremist concerns

The Story

A UAE investigation into an axe attack on an Israel-bound flight has raised new questions after officials said the co-pilot accused of the assault was an Omani national who had been barred from flying on his country’s airline because of concerns about extremist views.

The co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, was accused of attacking the captain with the cockpit’s crash axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft during the incident on Wednesday, according to the United Arab Emirates, which is leading the probe. Investigators said the co-pilot’s actions nearly crashed the flight, which had 182 people on board, before passengers and others rushed in and subdued him.

Officials said the co-pilot had been barred from flying by Oman Air and was moved to an administrative job, though they provided no details about the alleged extremist views. A regional official said investigations involving agencies from four regional countries, aided by the United States and other Western governments, are trying to determine whether he acted alone or had any connection to extremist groups. The regional official also said the co-pilot was born in the UAE, obtained Omani nationality from his father, and that his mother is Syrian, adding that the co-pilot had travelled to Syria with no further details provided. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization,” but he provided no evidence, and there was no immediate comment Saturday from Israel’s government.

FlyDubai has said its crash axes are carried in the cockpit for emergency use. The captain, who was badly wounded, said he unlocked the cockpit door with remaining energy while being attacked, allowing people who noticed unusual sounds to enter, tackle the co-pilot and stabilize the flight while passengers screamed. The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after an extreme descent tore away part of the rudder, and FlyDubai said crew travelling on the aircraft helped stabilize and land it. Both the captain and co-pilot were later taken to the UAE, and passengers most of them Israeli flew home later Wednesday on a separate plane.

A FlyDubai spokesperson said the airline could not comment beyond official statements and acknowledged there were “many questions at this stage.” There was no immediate comment from Oman Air, and Oman’s government had not responded publicly to repeated questions by Saturday. A statement from Royal Air Maroc said al-Hammami completed a three-month theoretical training period in 2025 as part of its pre-employment process, and his application was not selected for employment. The co-pilot’s Instagram account was active until the day of the flight, then was deleted.