Alleged Attacker Pilot Raised Extremist Concerns Previously

The pilot suspected of attacking another pilot on a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv had previously raised concerns due to extremist views, according to a regional diplomatic source familiar with the matter. The source told CNN that last year, the individual was removed from a training program with Oman Air, the national airline of Oman, over fears of radical beliefs, and was later transferred to a different role within the company. Sources speaking to CNN identified the suspect as an Omani citizen, born in the UAE to an Omani father and a Syrian mother, who lived in the Emirates for several years. An Israeli official confirmed his identity. Another source reported that prior to his employment with Flydubai, he also worked for the Moroccan airline Royal Air Maroc. An Israeli official stated that he was employed by Flydubai for only eight months. These new details raise questions about background check and screening procedures in the aviation industry, particularly how an Omani citizen, from a country without diplomatic relations with Israel, was permitted to serve as a pilot on a flight to Tel Aviv. An Israeli official told CNN that several Israeli bodies, including the Shin Bet, Mossad, the IDF, and the Ministry of Transportation, are investigating how the Omani pilot was assigned to the flight crew. The suspect, who was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE yesterday, is cooperating with authorities and has stated his intention was to crash the plane in Israel.