Flydubai Staffer Accused of Hijacking Attempt Was 'Religious Extremist,' Colleague Claims
An Omani national working for flydubai, who allegedly stabbed the pilot of a flight bound for Israel, was described as a religious extremist by a fellow pilot.
The flydubai co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack a plane bound for Israel, stabbing the lead pilot and endangering 174 passengers, has been described as a religious extremist by a colleague. The Omani national, who had been with the airline for less than a year, exhibited behavior that was "out of step with his surroundings," a fellow pilot told Israeli Channel 16, speaking on condition of anonymity.
According to the colleague, the co-pilot frequently prayed and refused to shake hands with women. The pilot expressed dismay that flydubai hired the individual, stating, "There is no other way to put it, we hired the services of a terrorist and nearly caused the deaths of 180 people." The colleague questioned how the Omani national was able to be on a flight to Tel Aviv, typically flown by Emiratis, noting that Oman and Israel do not have diplomatic relations, a requirement for pilots landing in Israel.
The flight, identified as FZ173, was diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed by two off-duty pilots who intervened after the alleged attack. Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev has called for an investigation into whether the UAE has breached its aviation agreement with Israel. A source within the transportation ministry stated, "This is a clear breach of the agreement," and called for the Israeli Security Agency to investigate the incident.
In response, flydubai has temporarily suspended its flights to and from Israel. Israel is enhancing security checks for all pilots flying into the country. Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, stated that Israel will be performing security checks on all pilots flying into the nation, regardless of their airline, to ensure heightened safety procedures.