Omani Co-pilot Identified in FlyDubai Attack on Captain

The co-pilot suspected of stabbing the captain on an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight has been identified as an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami, three people with knowledge of the situation, including a Gulf and Western diplomat, said on Saturday. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The Gulf diplomat said investigations are underway to establish whether al-Hammami acted as a “lone wolf or has any connection with any extremist groups.”

Officials said the co-pilot nearly crashed the sharply plummeting flight with 182 people aboard. A person familiar with the matter said al-Hammami had been barred from flying by Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views. This person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. FlyDubai, a United Arab Emirates-based airline, subsequently hired al-Hammami. It was not immediately clear to what extent he was vetted when hired. Oman’s barring of him was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Investigators are focused on how the co-pilot managed to be working in the cockpit on Wednesday morning. Israel has long-standing agreements with foreign carriers to keep pilots from flying into the country if they are citizens of nations that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic relations.

There was no immediate comment from FlyDubai, the UAE government, or Oman Air. Oman’s government has not made any public statements in response to questions since the incident.

UAE senior diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash called the attack a “dangerous terrorist act” in a post on X. The incident presents a test for the UAE government, which has earned a reputation for effective measures against extremist activities but has also reacted in the past to criticism of security lapses.

Little else was immediately known about al-Hammami’s background. His Instagram account was active until the day of the flight and was then deleted.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization,” but provided no evidence.

The captain, who was badly wounded, said he used his remaining energy while being stabbed to unlock the cockpit door. This allowed people who had noticed alarmingly unusual sounds to enter, tackle the co-pilot, and stabilize the plane. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Investigators have not publicly identified the object used to stab the captain or stated whether it was carried onto the plane or came from inside the aircraft. Both the captain and co-pilot were later taken to the UAE, as it leads the investigation. Officials have said a number of countries, including Israel, are participating.