United Arab Emirates · Israel · Gaza · Fortune Technology
The Gulf diplomat said he had undergone standard security checks before being hired
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The regional official also said security agencies from four regional countries were working to establish the co-pilot’s motives, aided by the United States and other Western governments.
Key facts
- The incident occurred at a sensitive time for Israel, a week before the anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza
- Associated Press, Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s national carrier, said the co-pilot “completed a three-month theoretical training period with the airline in 2025, as part of the pre-employment process
- Keith Coles, a spokesperson for Buckinghamshire New University in England, told the AP that al-Hammami previously completed a distance-learning course in aviation management there but “did not undertake any pilot training
- The official said he was moved to an administrative job at Oman Air
Summary
The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of an Israel-bound flight with an axe and trying to seize the controls was an Omani national who had been barred from flying on his country’s airline because of concerns about extremist views, officials said Saturday. The co-pilot has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, according to three people with knowledge of the situation, including a Gulf and a Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The United Arab Emirates, which is leading the investigation, said the co-pilot attacked with the cockpit’s crash axe and tried to take control of the plummeting plane in a “terrorist attack” Wednesday. The new details raised questions about how thoroughly FlyDubai vets potential employees, and how the co-pilot’s presence on a flight filled with Israeli passengers got past Israel’s strict security protocols.