Flydubai co-pilot who stabbed captain was earlier barred by Oman, reports say

A co-pilot stabbed the captain of Flydubai Flight 1073, according to Deutsche Welle and the Wall Street Journal. The flight was bound for Tel Aviv with 182 people on board, Deutsche Welle and the South China Morning Post report; the latter refers to an attack without mentioning a stabbing. An investigation into the attack is ongoing.

The co-pilot had previously been barred from flying by Oman over concerns that he had adopted radical or extremist views, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the ban on Friday. A person familiar with the matter, cited by the South China Morning Post, gave the same account. Both say Flydubai, a UAE-based airline, hired him after the ban.

Both accounts rest on unnamed or unspecified sourcing. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include any official Omani statement, or any statement from Flydubai or UAE authorities.

What is reported

The Wall Street Journal names the co-pilot as Hamam al-Hammami. The South China Morning Post describes him as a native of Oman.

According to Deutsche Welle, the flight departed from Dubai with four pilots on board. After the stabbing, two other pilots in the cabin took control and landed the aircraft safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Deutsche Welle describes the stabbing as an apparent attempt to crash the plane. The South China Morning Post attributes to unnamed officials the claim that the plane was nearly crashed.

Deutsche Welle also relays two other reports. It says CNN cited two sources as saying the co-pilot was removed from a job at Oman's national airline last year over concerns about extremist views. It says Al Arabiya, citing an informed source, reported that Omani authorities determined he held extremist views.

The South China Morning Post reports that the UAE has cancelled all flights to Israel, affecting hundreds of passengers who fly between the two countries on a typical day. This appears in only that outlet, with no detail on duration or who took the decision.

What each side says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement on Thursday that the co-pilot "underwent Islamist radical indoctrination" and intended to crash the jet, as quoted by Deutsche Welle. He said it was being examined whether the co-pilot acted under anyone's direction. He warned that whoever was involved would pay a "heavy price".

What is not known

The co-pilot's motive and the nature of his alleged radicalization are not established. According to Deutsche Welle, the Wall Street Journal said it could not be determined whether Oman shared its concerns with other countries or airlines. The South China Morning Post said it was not immediately clear to what extent he was vetted when hired in the Emirates.

The reports do not describe the captain's condition, the co-pilot's current status, the exact date of the attack or which authorities are leading the investigation.

Analysis

If the reported ban is confirmed, attention may turn to how aviation authorities and airlines exchange information about pilots removed from duty on security grounds. Whether Oman passed on its concerns, and what checks Flydubai carried out, are open questions that the investigation could address. Official statements from Oman, the UAE or the airline could support or alter the current account, which rests on unnamed sources. The reported suspension of UAE flights to Israel, if sustained, could affect travel between the two countries, though its duration is not described. The co-pilot's motive and whether he acted alone remain unestablished.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.