CAIRO — The co-pilot accused of striking the captain with an axe and attempting to take control of an Israel-bound flight was an Omani citizen who had previously been removed from flying duties at his country’s national airline over concerns about extremist beliefs, officials said Saturday.
Three people familiar with the case, including a Gulf official and a Western diplomat, identified the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami. They spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly.
The United Arab Emirates, which is overseeing the inquiry, described Wednesday’s incident as a “terrorist attack.” Authorities said al-Hammami used the cockpit’s emergency axe and tried to seize control as the aircraft plunged sharply. The flight, carrying 182 people, came close to crashing before passengers and others intervened and restrained him.
The revelations have prompted scrutiny of FlyDubai’s employee screening procedures, as well as questions about how the co-pilot was able to board a flight carrying Israeli passengers despite Israel’s rigorous aviation security requirements.
Israeli officials have said the country maintains arrangements with international airlines to prevent pilots from countries without diplomatic ties from operating flights to Israel. Israel and Oman have no formal diplomatic relationship. The UAE is widely regarded as having strong safeguards against extremist activity, although its government has previously reacted sharply to accusations of security failures.
The attack occurred during a particularly tense period in Israel, just one week before the anniversary of the Hamas-led assault on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza. It also took place only weeks ahead of a deeply divisive election, with national security and the failures surrounding Oct. 7 dominating the political debate.
FlyDubai hired the co-pilot after Oman Air barred him
A regional official and another person briefed on the case said Oman had previously prohibited al-Hammami from flying because authorities believed he had developed extremist views. According to the official, he was reassigned to an administrative position at Oman Air. Both sources requested anonymity while discussing the ongoing investigation and provided no details about the beliefs in question.
The same source said al-Hammami was later hired by FlyDubai, the UAE-based carrier. It remains unclear how extensive the airline’s background checks were. A Gulf diplomat said the co-pilot passed standard screening before joining the company, but the process may have focused primarily on criminal convictions rather than possible indicators of radicalization.
Security services from four countries in the region are working to determine what drove the attack, with assistance from the United States and other Western governments, the regional official said. The Gulf diplomat added that investigators are examining whether al-Hammami acted independently or had ties to an extremist organization.
The regional official said al-Hammami was born in the UAE and that his mother is Syrian. He acquired Omani citizenship through his father, who was also Omani. The official also said al-Hammami had traveled to Syria, but offered no further information about the trip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization,” though he did not present evidence. Israel’s government had not issued an additional comment by Saturday.
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A social media account was deleted the day of the flight
A FlyDubai spokesperson said by email that the airline could not go beyond its previous statements, acknowledging that “there are many questions at this stage.” Oman Air did not immediately respond, while Oman’s government has remained publicly silent despite repeated requests for comment since the incident.
Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s national airline, told The Associated Press that al-Hammami completed a three-month theoretical training program with the carrier in 2025 as part of its hiring process. The airline said he was not selected for employment after completing the course but provided no further explanation.
Keith Coles, a spokesperson for Buckinghamshire New University in England, told the AP that al-Hammami had completed a distance-learning course in aviation management there. Coles said the program did not include pilot training, but did not provide details about when al-Hammami attended.
Few other details about al-Hammami’s life and career were immediately available. His Instagram profile remained active until the day of the flight, when it was deleted.
Captain and passengers have described drama on board
Commercial aircraft are typically required to have an emergency axe in the cockpit. It can be used to break a window during an evacuation or open a panel to reach a fire.
The captain, who suffered serious injuries in the attack, said he used his remaining strength to unlock the cockpit door while al-Hammami was assaulting him. People who had heard the unusual noises then entered, subdued the co-pilot and helped regain control as terrified passengers cried out.
The aircraft eventually made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after its steep descent caused part of the rudder to break away. Aviation specialists have expressed amazement that the plane remained airborne. FlyDubai said crew members who were traveling as passengers helped stabilize the aircraft and bring it down safely, though their identities have not been released.
The captain and al-Hammami were later transported to the UAE. Most of the passengers, who were Israeli, returned home later Wednesday on another aircraft and were greeted with cheers.
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Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Anna from Jerusalem. AP Washington bureau chief Anna Johnson in Washington, aviation writer Josh Funk and Sam Metz in Jerusalem contributed.
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