Omani Pilot Flew to Tel Aviv Before Attack Attempt, Investigation Reveals
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Omani co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami previously flew to Tel Aviv before attempting an attack on a flydubai flight.
- Israeli authorities were unaware of al-Hammami's radicalization concerns and grounding by Oman Air.
- The incident highlights significant security vetting failures for foreign airline crews in Israel.
- The attack was prevented by the flight captain and passengers, saving 180 people.
- Investigations are ongoing in the UAE, with Israeli agencies reviewing provided materials.
An Omani co-pilot, Hammam al-Hammami, who attempted an attack aboard a flydubai flight, had previously flown the Dubai-Tel Aviv route multiple times. Israeli authorities are currently investigating whether these flights occurred just days before the incident.
According to Channel 12, flydubai provided Israeli authorities with a crew manifest including al-Hammami before the flight. However, security checks did not flag him as a threat. Israel was reportedly unaware that his former employer, Oman Air, had grounded him due to concerns about his radicalization.
The investigation is also focusing on the vetting process for foreign pilots. Reports indicate that Israel's Ministry of Transportation is legally responsible for overseeing these checks but does not actively do so. Neither the Shin Bet nor the Mossad conduct background checks on pilots from foreign airlines flying to Israel.
Security sources described the situation with foreign crews at Ben Gurion Airport as a "lawless zone," identifying the incident as a "colossal error in the security system." The attack was thwarted by the aircraft's captain and several passengers, saving the 180 people on board.
Sources suggest the suspect may have planned the attack for an extended period, but Israeli agencies had no prior intelligence on him. The investigation is ongoing in the UAE, with Israeli investigators examining materials provided by Emirati and Saudi authorities, as they have not yet gained direct access to al-Hammami. Earlier reports indicated that the Mossad and Shin Bet received flight crew data in advance but did not conduct checks.
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