CAIRO (AP) — The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of an Israel-bound flight with an ax and trying to grab the controls is an Omani national who has been banned from flying on his country’s airline over concerns about extremist views, officials said Saturday.
The co-pilot was identified as Hamam al-Hamami, according to three people familiar with 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 the cockpit with an ax and tried to control the plane as it plummeted in a “terrorist attack” on Wednesday. His actions nearly led to the crash of the plane with 182 people on board before passengers and others rushed in and subdued him.
The new details raised questions about how thoroughly Flydubai vets potential employees, and how the presence of a co-pilot on a flight full of Israeli passengers bypassed strict security protocols in Israel.
The Israeli government said it has agreements with foreign airlines to prevent pilots of countries with which it does not have diplomatic relations from flying there. There are no official diplomatic relations between Israel and Oman. The UAE government has gained a reputation for taking effective action against extremist activities, but has been angered in the past by criticism of security lapses.
The incident occurred at a sensitive time for Israel, a week before the anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza. It also came weeks before highly controversial elections in which security, and the security failures on October 7, were central issues.
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Separately, a regional official and a person familiar with the matter said that the co-pilot had been banned from flying in Oman due to concerns that he held extremist views. The official said that he was transferred to an administrative position at Oman Air. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. They did not provide any details about the alleged extremist views.
The co-pilot was later hired by UAE-based airline Flydubai, the source said. It was not immediately clear to what extent the co-pilot had been examined. The Gulf diplomat said he underwent standard security checks before his appointment, but the checks appeared to focus on whether he had been convicted of criminal charges and did not delve into examining his background for possible signs of extremism.
The regional official also said that security agencies from four regional countries are working to determine the co-pilot’s motives, with the help of the United States and other Western governments. The Gulf diplomat said that investigations are trying to determine whether the co-pilot acted alone or “has any connection to any extremist groups.”
The regional official said that the co-pilot was born in the UAE and his mother is Syrian. He obtained Omani citizenship from his father, who is also Omani. The regional official also said that the co-pilot traveled to Syria, without details.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the co-pilot had been exposed to “Islamic extremism,” but did not provide any evidence. There was no immediate comment on Saturday from the Israeli government.
A social media account was deleted on the day of the trip
A Flydubai spokesperson said in an email that the airline could not comment beyond its official statements and acknowledged that “there are many questions at this stage.” There was no immediate comment from Oman Air, and the Omani government has said nothing publicly in response to repeated questions since the incident.
In a statement to the 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. At the end of this training period, his application was not selected for employment.” There were no details.
Keith Coles, a spokesman for Buckinghamshire New University in England, told the AP that El-Hamami had previously completed a distance learning course in aviation management there but “did not do any pilot training.” There were no details about the timing.
Little was immediately known about the co-pilot’s background. His Instagram account was active until the day of the trip and then was deleted.
The captain and passengers described the drama on board
Airlines are generally required to carry crash axes in the cockpit which can be used in an emergency to open a window for escape or break a panel to gain access to a fire.
The captain, who was severely injured in the ax attack, said he used his remaining energy during the attack to open the cockpit door, allowing people who had noticed alarmingly unusual noises to enter, deal with the co-pilot and stabilize the flight as passengers screamed.
The plane made an emergency landing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after a heavy landing that led to part of the rudder being torn off, and aviation experts were surprised that it did not crash. Flydubai said the crew traveling on the plane helped stabilize the plane and land. They have not yet been publicly identified.
Both the captain and co-pilot were later transferred to the United Arab Emirates. The passengers, most of them Israeli, returned home later Wednesday on a separate plane to cheers.
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Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Anna reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press Washington bureau chief Anna Johnson in Washington, and aviation writers Josh Funk and Sam Metz in Jerusalem contributed.
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