Omani Co-Pilot in Flydubai Incident Identified as Security Risk

A new and disturbing detail has emerged in the investigation of the attempted attack on a Flydubai flight bound for Israel: the Omani co-pilot, suspected of attacking the captain and attempting to crash the plane, had previously been identified as a security risk and suspended from flying. According to an ABC News report citing senior intelligence and law enforcement officials, the co-pilot was found in possession of extremist materials in 2024 while training with Oman Air. He was subsequently removed from flight duties but allowed to continue working for the airline in a managerial role. Investigators are now trying to understand how he was hired by Flydubai and reached the position of co-pilot on the flight to Israel after being flagged and suspended.

Sources briefed on the investigation stated that the suspect was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday and is cooperating with investigators. He reportedly confessed that his intention was to crash the plane in Israel. Israeli officials are expected to be involved in his interrogation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented after the incident that information gathered on the suspect indicated Islamist radicalization and that the possibility of him not acting alone was being examined. "He came to crash the plane with all the passengers," Netanyahu said, adding, "We are checking if he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price."

An initial Israeli intelligence report also indicated that the Omani pilot was influenced by extremist preachers who called for suicide attacks in the name of religion. Security agencies are investigating the possibility that this was not solely a personal initiative but involved another party. The incident occurred on Wednesday during a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain in the cockpit, causing the plane to enter a rapid dive. Israeli passengers managed to overpower and restrain him. One passenger, Yaniv Hayun, told ABC that he grabbed the controls to stabilize the aircraft until another pilot, who happened to be a passenger, entered the cockpit and took control. The plane eventually landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Another passenger, Dr. Shota Musaev, recounted that after the suspect was neutralized and lay injured outside the cockpit, he repeatedly pleaded, "Please kill me."

In response to the incident, Flydubai announced it is temporarily suspending its flights to Tel Aviv until further notice, stating that a full official investigation is underway in cooperation with authorities. Representatives for Flydubai, Oman Air, and the Omani embassy did not immediately respond to ABC's request for comment.