CAIRO — The copilot accused of attacking the captain of an Israel-bound flight, an Omani national who had been barred from flying on his country’s airline because of concerns about extremist views, used the cockpit crash ax to attack the pilot and tried to seize the controls in a “terrorist attack,” officials said Saturday.
The copilot has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, according to three people with knowledge of the situation, including a gulf diplomat 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 copilot attacked with the crash ax stored in the cockpit and tried to take control of the plummeting plane in a “terrorist attack” Wednesday. His actions nearly crashed the flight with 182 people on board before passengers and others rushed in and subdued him. Earlier reports had said the assailant used a knife.
The new details raised questions about how thoroughly FlyDubai vets potential employees, and how the copilot’s presence on a flight filled with Israeli passengers got past Israel’s strict security protocols.
Israel has said it has agreements with foreign carriers to keep pilots of nations without diplomatic ties from flying there. Israel and Oman don’t have formal diplomatic relations. The UAE government has earned a reputation for effective measures against extremist activities but has bristled in the past over criticism of security lapses.
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. It also came weeks before a contentious election in which security, and Oct. 7 security failures, have been central issues as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tries to remain in power.
Previously barred from flying
Separately, a regional official and a person familiar with the matter said the copilot had been barred from flying by Oman over concerns that he had adopted extremist views. The official said he was moved to an administrative job at Oman Air. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. They gave no details about allegations of his extremist views.
The copilot was later hired by UAE-based airline FlyDubai, the person said. It wasn’t immediately clear to what extent the copilot was vetted. The gulf diplomat said he had undergone standard security checks before being hired, but it appears that the checks focused on whether he had been convicted of criminal charges and didn’t go deeper into examining his background for potential signs of radicalization.
The regional official also said security agencies from four regional countries were working to establish the copilot’s motives, aided by the United States and other Western governments. The gulf diplomat said the investigation, which hasn’t concluded, hasn’t found any connections with militant groups, suggesting the copilot acted on his own.
The regional official said the copilot was born in the UAE and his mother is Syrian. He obtained Omani nationality from his father, also an Omani national. The regional official also said the copilot had traveled to Syria, without offering details.
Netanyahu said Friday the copilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization,” but provided no evidence. There was no immediate comment Saturday from Israel’s government.
‘Many questions at this stage’
A FlyDubai spokesperson said in an email that the airline could not comment beyond its official statements and acknowledged “there are many questions at this stage.” There was no immediate comment from Oman Air, and Oman’s government has said nothing publicly in response to questions since the incident.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s national carrier, said the copilot “completed a three-month theoretical training period with the airline in 2025, as part of the pre-employment process. At the end of this training period, his application was not selected for employment.” There were no details.
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.” There were no details on the timing.
Little else was immediately known about the copilot’s background. His Instagram account was active until the day of the flight and then deleted.
Details on attack
Airlines are generally required to carry crash axes in the cockpit that could be used in an emergency to break open a window to escape or break open a panel to access a fire.
The captain, who was badly wounded, has said he used his remaining energy while being attacked to unlock the cockpit door, allowing people who had noticed alarming sounds to come in, tackle the copilot and stabilize the flight while passengers screamed.
The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a descent so extreme that part of the rudder was torn away, and aviation experts have marveled that it didn’t crash. FlyDubai has said crew members traveling on the plane helped to stabilize it and land. They haven’t been publicly identified.
Both the captain and copilot were later taken to the UAE. The passengers, most of them Israeli, flew home later Wednesday on a separate plane, to cheers.
Magdy, Mednick and Anna write for the Associated Press. Mednick reported from Tel Aviv and Anna from Jerusalem. AP writers Josh Funk and Anna Johnson in Washington and Sam Metz in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
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