WSJ: Oman did not tell FlyDubai of pilot’s radical views before hiring
In short
Oman’s authorities knew FlyDubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami held radical views, barred him from flying at Oman Air and sent him to a deradicalisation programme, but the information was not passed on, the Wall Street Journal reported. FlyDubai hired the 29-year-old in February 2026 without contacting Oman to verify his record, according to the report. UAE investigators say he tried to commit a terrorist act on 30 September by attacking his captain with an axe kept in the cockpit; the aircraft, carrying more than 170 passengers, landed safely in Saudi Arabia after passengers and reserve crew subdued him.
Why it matters
The reported sequence — a pilot flagged and grounded in one country, then hired elsewhere without a check with his previous employer — points to gaps in how carriers share and verify security information about flight crew, a question that touches airlines and regulators well beyond Oman and the UAE. UAE authorities have opened an investigation into the hiring process at FlyDubai, putting the airline’s recruitment checks and the vetting role of states under scrutiny.
Key facts
- The Wall Street Journal reported that Omani authorities were told of the FlyDubai pilot’s radical views and did not pass the information to FlyDubai, according to Russian outlets relaying the report. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Oman banned Hamam al-Hammami from flying while he worked at the state airline Oman Air because of his radical views, the WSJ report says. [ 2 , 4 ]
- FlyDubai hired him in February 2026 but did not contact Oman to check his record; it ran a criminal-record check, according to the report. [ 2 , 4 ]
- UAE investigators said the second pilot tried to “commit a terrorist act” by attacking his colleague with an axe kept in the cockpit and trying to take control of the aircraft. [ 4 ]
- On 30 September the aircraft, with more than 170 passengers on board, landed safely at an airport in Saudi Arabia after passengers and reserve crew subdued him. [ 4 ]
- UAE authorities are investigating FlyDubai employees who took part in the hiring process. [ 4 ]
- WSJ reported that Israel did not stop his clearance for flights, and that the Israeli government initially identified him as an Omani citizen. [ 2 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Wall Street Journal reported that Omani authorities did not inform FlyDubai about the pilot’s radical views before the airline hired him. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- According to the WSJ report, Oman barred the pilot from flying because of his radical views, and FlyDubai did not request information from his previous employer. [ 2 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Which city or airport in Saudi Arabia the aircraft landed at, and where exactly the incident took place. The documents say only that the flight landed at an airport in Saudi Arabia.
- What has happened to Hamam al-Hammami since the flight, and what he is formally accused of. The documents describe the UAE investigation into FlyDubai hiring staff but give no information on his status or any charges.
- Israel’s role in clearing the pilot for flights to Tel Aviv. This is reported only by RBC, citing WSJ; the other documents do not address his Israeli clearance.
- What Oman did beyond grounding him and moving him to desk work. Vedomosti’s account of the WSJ report says the issue was not raised in a broader context, and no other document adds detail.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- RIA Novosti reports, citing media, that Oman did not disclose the FlyDubai pilot’s radical views. [ 1 ]
- RBC, citing the Wall Street Journal, reports that the pilot was banned from flying in Oman over radical views, that FlyDubai did not request data from his previous employer and that Israel did not stop his clearance. [ 2 ]
- TASS reports the WSJ account that Oman did not inform the airline about the pilot’s radical views. [ 3 ]
- Vedomosti publishes details of the WSJ report, including that Oman sent the pilot to a deradicalisation programme, that FlyDubai hired him in February 2026 and that UAE authorities are investigating FlyDubai staff involved in the hiring; it also recalls the 30 September landing in Saudi Arabia. [ 4 ]