Flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking captain was dismissed by Oman Air, reports say
In short
A Flydubai Boeing 737 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers, 27 of them children, made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on 30 September after the crew reported an attempt to seize the aircraft. UAE investigators say the second pilot tried to commit a terrorist act by attacking the captain with an axe kept in the cockpit and trying to take control of the plane; passengers and a reserve crew subdued him. CNN and Bloomberg report the co-pilot, named by Bloomberg as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami, had earlier been dismissed from Oman Air over concerns about extremist views, and the investigation into flight FZ1073 continues.
Why it matters
The disclosure that the co-pilot was dismissed from Oman Air before joining Flydubai is likely to raise questions about how he was hired and about screening gaps in aviation, particularly because Israel and Oman have no official diplomatic relations, Bloomberg reported. Israel has announced tighter aviation security, including full pilot data before aircraft enter its airspace, and investigations by UAE and Israeli authorities are continuing.
Key facts
- A Flydubai Boeing 737 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, with 174 passengers including 27 children on board, signalled an alert and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on 30 September after the crew reported an attempt to seize the aircraft. [ 1 ]
- UAE investigators said the second pilot tried to commit a terrorist act by attacking the captain with an axe kept in the cockpit for emergencies and attempting to take control of the aircraft. [ 2 ]
- Passengers and a reserve crew intervened to subdue the co-pilot and stabilise the plane, according to Bloomberg. [ 2 ]
- The co-pilot had been dismissed from Oman Air over concerns about extremist or radical views, according to CNN, Bloomberg and RBC. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Bloomberg identified the co-pilot as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami, initially identified by the Israeli government as a citizen of Oman. [ 2 ]
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident an attempted attack in the style of the 11 September 2001 attacks, and Israel announced tighter aviation security. [ 1 ]
- Israel's transport minister Miri Regev called the presence of a pilot from Oman an “explicit violation of the agreement” and asked the Shin Bet security service to investigate. [ 2 ]
- The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority is investigating the incident together with the relevant authorities. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The co-pilot had previously been dismissed from Oman Air over concerns about extremist or radical views. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The aircraft was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on 30 September, with more than 170 passengers on board. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The co-pilot attacked the captain and attempted to seize control of the aircraft, according to investigators cited by the outlets. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- The co-pilot's motive and whether anyone else was involved. Vedomosti, citing Bloomberg, says the investigation into flight FZ1073 is still trying to establish possible motives and the parties involved, with technical examinations of physical and digital evidence under way.
- The co-pilot's identity and nationality. Only Bloomberg, cited by Vedomosti, gives the name, age and the initial identification as a citizen of Oman; the documents do not say whether that identification has been confirmed.
- Details of the Oman Air dismissal and later employment claims. These rest on CNN's unnamed sources — dismissal during training a year ago, an offer of work at another airline, earlier work at Royal Air Maroc and eight months at Flydubai per an Israeli official — and no Oman Air comment is reported.
- The exact location of the emergency landing. The documents say only that the plane landed in Saudi Arabia and do not name an airport or city.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- 30 September: Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, carrying 174 passengers including 27 children, signals an alert and makes an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the crew reports an attempt to seize the aircraft. [ 1 , 2 ]
- 3 October: Kommersant, citing CNN, reports that the co-pilot had been dismissed from Oman Air over concerns about extremist views and had worked at Flydubai for eight months. [ 1 ]
- 4 October: Vedomosti, citing Bloomberg, names the suspect as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami and reports UAE investigators' account of the axe attack. [ 2 ]
- 4 October: RBC reports that the co-pilot had been dismissed from Oman Air over support for radical views. [ 3 ]